Ogre Region Field Studies — by Ikuru Kuwajima (JP)

2024. On November 15, the exhibition “Ogre Region Field Studies” opened in the Small Hall of the Ogre History and Art Museum, presenting visitors with the results of Japanese artist Ikuru Kuwajima’s artistic research from the first international artist residency at the Ogre History and Art Museum in 2024.

That summer, artist Ikuru Kuwajima explored the landscape and history of the Ogre region’s rural areas. He embarked on expeditions along the Daugava and Ogre rivers and sought archival photographs in local museums and libraries. The artist visualized his research by referencing various tales and legends. He used both archival photographs and his own photographs and found objects, for example, in the installation about the Ogre River, linden leaf collages and photographs taken by the riverbank are visible, as the legend “How Ogre Came to Be” tells that the river originated from a linden tree.

Meanwhile, several legends about the Daugava River and Ķente Hill Fort, as well as Andrejs Pumpurs’ epic “Lāčplēsis” (Bear Slayer), inspired his other works. The exhibition will showcase both ancient images and entirely new captures of this area.

Ikuru Kuwajima is an artist and photographer, born in Japan, educated at a US university, but since 2007 has been living and working in various Eastern European and Central Asian countries. In his works, he explores historical and social issues mainly in post-Soviet countries, using photography, video, artist’s books and installations, which have been exhibited and published in numerous venues and publications across various countries. His books “Children of the Tundra” and “I, Oblomov” were published in Vienna in 2015 and in Moscow in 2017. He is also a Japanese-English-Russian-Ukrainian translator and speaks French and some Romanian.

Exhibition curator/Elīna Cērpa, texts/Ikuru Kuwajima, exhibition graphic design/Bumbierkoks, text editing/Antra Lezdiņa. The exhibition features images from the archives of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.

Ogre History and Art Museum thanks: Velta Riekstiņa, Līksma Dzelme, Sarmīte Poikāne, Ingrīda Ķezbere, Dzintars Kvants, Vija Links & Aivars Links, Mirdza Jačino, Daiga Sosnare, Liene Kainaize, Lelde Neimane, Jūlija Berkoviča, the Meņģele branch of Taurupe Primary School, Edgars Kalnriekstiņš, Vita Gžibovska, Ilze Jankuna, the Inķēni family, Daiga and Andris Eklons, Dāvids Zaķis, and Irisa Janēvica.