Ēvī Upeniece (22 August 1925 – 29 August 2024) was a Latvian sculptor who worked within the portrait genre. She received the Republic of Latvia

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...

(2021) for her creative work and professional achievements.

Biography

Ēvī Upeniece was born Ēvī Upeniece on 22 August 1925 in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

to Eduards Upenieks, a Latvian foreman of a veneer factory in Sarkandaugava, and an Estonian mother, Leida Upeniece (née Oinas). Her husband was sculptor Vladimirs Rapiķis. Upeniece studied at Riga School of Fine Arts (1944–1946) and graduated

Art Academy of Latvia The Art Academy of Latvia () is an institution of higher education and scientific research in art, located in Riga, Latvia. The neo-Gothic brick building is located on Krišjānis Valdemārs Street, next to the National Museum of Art. In aut ...

with diploma work ''Portrait of Arturs Frinbergs'' (1952) under the guidance of sculptor

Teodors Zaļkalns Teodors Zaļkalns (born Teodors Grīnbergs; 30 November 1876 – 6 September 1972) was a Latvian sculptor, poet, medalist and teacher who was among the first professional Latvian sculptors. Biography He was born in 1876 in Allažu parish in t ...

. Upeniece worked at the combine ''Art'' (1952–1980) and was a teacher of the

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

group at Riga 45th secondary school (1964–1977). She has been participating in exhibitions since 1953 and was a member of the Artists Union of Latvia since 1957. Her works have been presented at the republican,

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

exhibitions and abroad. In 2021, she was awarded the

, V Class. Upeniece died on 29 August 2024, a week after she attained the age of 99.Nedēļu pēc jubilejas mirusi tēlniece Ēvī Upeniece

Art

Upeniece worked mainly in statuary and decorative sculpture. Her works are characterized by lyricism and an intimate chamber atmosphere. She realized her ideas using

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

, caper forge,

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

, and

fireclay Fire clay is a range of refractory clays used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines fire clay very generally as a "mineral aggregate composed of hydrous silicates of alumin ...

. The sculptural forms of the works are generally smooth. Their surface is often ground or polished; decoratively expressive textures are sometimes used for contrast. She created portraits depicting mainly women (''Astrakhan Fisherwoman'', 1960; ''Bust of a Young Woman'', 1963; ''Astrīda Kairiša'', 1975; ''Maija Tabaka'', 1976; '' Ausma Kantāne'', '' Vija Artmane'', 1977; ''Olga Lisovska'', 1979; '' Elza Radziņa'', 1981).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upeniece, Evi 1925 births 2024 deaths 20th-century sculptors 20th-century Latvian women artists 20th-century Latvian artists Artists from Riga Latvian people of Estonian descent Latvian women sculptors Latvian sculptors Art Academy of Latvia alumni