Gunārs Lūsis (born 1950) is a Latvian artist and graphical designer. Lūsis is notable for creating the design for some of the modern Latvian coins with denominations in

Latvian lats The Latvian lats (plural: ''lati'', plural genitive: ''latu'', second Latvian lats ISO 4217 currency code: LVL) was the currency of Latvia from 1922 until 1940 and from 1993 until it was replaced by the euro on 1 January 2014. A two-week trans ...

, and for authoring the logo for the Latvian presidency of the

Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) a ...

Life

Lūsis was born 18 December 1950 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 ...

. He graduated 1968 from the Jānis Rozentāls Art High School and 1974 from the

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 ...

, Faculty of Design. He is member of the Artists' Union of Latvia () since 1978. During the

Soviet era The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

he designed posters and the layout of books. Later he created approximately 70 logos for different institutions and events, like

Latvian National Opera The Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) is an opera house and opera company at Aspazijas boulevard 3 in Riga. Its repertoire includes performances of opera and ballet presented during the season which lasts from mid-September to the end of ...

Foundation, Song and Dance Festival Riga 800, Cinema Festival Arsenāls, Lido,

Riga Stradiņš University Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) (, ) is a public university located in the city of Riga, Latvia. The name Stradiņš () in the university's title refers to the Stradiņš family, who have had a significant influence on the course of community ...

etc.

Lūsis has, in cooperation with

Jānis Strupulis Jānis Strupulis (monogram ''JS'', born 28 January 1949) is a Latvian sculptor and graphical designer, who designed some of the modern Latvian lats#Coins 2, Latvian coins with denominations in Latvian lats. Life Strupulis was born 28 January 1 ...

, designed a number of Latvian coins with denominations in Lats dated 1992, the bi-metallic 2 Lats coin dated 1999, variations of the 1 Lats coins dated 1999, 2001, and many others. Lūsis has also been active exhibiting as a painter. He relates himself to artists like

Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...

Antoni Tàpies Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tápies, Marquess of Tàpies (; 13 December 1923 – 6 February 2012) was a Catalans, Catalan painter, sculptor, and art theorist. Life The son of Josep Tàpies i Mestre and Maria Puig i Guerra, Antoni T ...

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" or "Bob" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combine painting, Combines (1954� ...

and

Jasper Johns Jasper Johns (born May 15, 1930) is an American painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker. Considered a central figure in the development of American postwar art, he has been variously associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusis, Gunars 1950 births Living people Artists from Riga 20th-century Latvian painters Latvian male painters Art Academy of Latvia alumni