Roberts Rūrāns’ exhibition “The Curse of Isildur”

From 9 October to 16 January 2027, Aspazija House will host artist and illustrator Roberts Rūrāns’ exhibition “The Curse of Isildur” - a series of works in which, inspired by the world of The Lord of the Rings created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the artist turns to the eternal struggle between good and evil and a person’s inner choices.

Stories, fairy tales and myths have accompanied humanity for centuries because they contain universal truths. They offer comfort in suffering, help us understand our roots and our place in the world, and give life meaning. It is precisely this perspective that Rūrāns uses when interpreting Tolkien’s Middle-earth and its characters.

At the center of the exhibition is the human inner conflict between the desire for good and the temptation to yield to one’s weaknesses. The artist connects this with Plato’s allegory of the chariot, in which the human mind must guide two opposing forces. The white horse symbolizes the human spirit and the pursuit of wisdom and the divine, while the black horse represents base desires and the forces that pull the soul in the opposite direction.

This dilemma is also echoed in Frodo’s journey. At the decisive moment of his mission, he is unable to give up the One Ring and chooses to keep it for himself. However, the mercy Frodo previously showed Gollum ultimately becomes decisive for the fate of all Middle-earth. This turning point recalls one of the exhibition’s most essential ideas - seemingly small and ordinary acts of kindness can have far greater significance than we are able to foresee.

Roberts Rūrāns (1990) graduated from the Bachelor’s program of the Graphics Department at the Art Academy of Latvia and is one of the co-founders of the design studio “Overpriced.” He currently works as an independent illustrator and artist.

Rūrāns paints in acrylics, and over the years his visual language has evolved from an interest in exaggerated forms influenced by contemporary minimalism and modernism to an interest in the aesthetics and symbolism of medieval Christian art. The artist has collaborated with internationally known companies and organizations, including The New York Times, Apple, NATO, the Olympic Games, and Hermès.

In Rūrāns’ view, the purpose of art is not to provoke, but to help a person feel at home in the world. Even at a time when technology is increasingly changing human relationships with the physical and tangible world, he consciously continues to work by hand.

“I still draw by hand and hope to always do so, because I really like it and it seems increasingly important precisely in the age of technology, which distances us more and more from the human, the tangible, and, I would say, the real,” says Roberts Rūrāns.

The exhibition opens on 9 October at 5:00 PM.