Ieva Iltnere

Ieva Iltnere is a painter with a unique style, characterised by a tendency to unite the narrative possibilities of ornament and figure. Often employing subdued and thin layers of pain, rubbings, pointillist or ornamental brushstrokes, Iltnere conjures up ghostly figures derived from Renaissance masters or contemporary fashion magazines. The artist sensitively submits to the visual impulses endlessly supplied by the world and culture, whose painterly treatment leads from one work to another and gradually accrues to create an unusual, individual visual world. 

The painting “Urbi et Orbi” brings together diverse fragments of the artist’s experiences and impressions, creating a multi-layered stream of consciousness collage. As the artist explains: “When I was creating “Urbi et Orbi”, I understood that it was nothing new – it had all happened before. It’s like life – we place layer upon layer, and then time peels one away and reveals the previous one.” Iltnere is fascinated by old walls, whose restoration reveals cross sections of layers, which she often employs as a metaphor for the desire to go into depth and see something beyond the visible surface. At the same time, the painting is also a story about Creation – creation from darkness and dust, from nothing. This is indicated both by the title of the work, making use of the traditional Papal blessing, as well as the scene of the birth of Christ depicted by the 15th century Dutch painter Geertgen tot Sint Jans, which emerges from the lower layers like the mysterious interior of an Italian palazzo in order to celebrate the miracle of creation. 

Urbi et Orbi. 2018.