In April, the Latvian textile artist Emma Sofia presents her textile art projects in the street exhibition and online. With two of her projects entitled "I will cry a little here" and "Addiction to everything" she addresses us with the exclamation "Breathe slowly!".
In these strange times, we begin to be aware of a lot of hidden problems in our society and the world. We don’t want to talk about them because we still believe it’s not necessary. But it is. Emma’s work depicts hidden emotions about all kinds of addictions. Starting from most known – alcohol, drugs, abusive behaviour, self-critique, but also addictions to self-denial and the forgotten idea that we actually have the capabilities of living a better life.
Her unspoken feelings describe suffocation and real, tangible troubles. While her hands are busy, she can freely express herself about the topic. She cannot express her condolences to the lost souls, but she feels she can speak of them (and to them) in her tapestries. Her language is her hand movement, expression, and feelings.
She believes that we should always reveal our emotions, no matter what. Only then would we properly deal with ourselves. Modern life demands from us a lot more than we can offer. But in this cycle of life, we are still fighting for success. We need to bring the awareness of a forgotten life without addictions and stop suffocating ourselves.
Emma Sofia is a Latvian Contemporary Textile and visual artist who works with weaving, printing, and painting. She is interested in nature and human behavior and how people relate to each other in this fragmented post-digital world. She weaves stories to express her feelings and thoughts about issues in our society. Her large-scale artworks aim to attract the audience by making them outthink the obstacles that trigger these problems.
Emma Sofia has graduated from Riga School of Design and Art, Art Academy of Latvia (BA, MA in Textile art), studied abroad in Norway at the University of Bergen, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Design. Now she is studying MA in the painting department at the Art Academy of Latvia.
Emma organizes solo exhibitions and has participated in several group exhibitions in Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Belarus, Slovenia, USA, received awards, nominations, and recognitions. Her works are in the collection of Latvian LOTO, Upītes Cultural Space, and the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, and also in Germany, America, and Latvia.
