Aleksejs Naumovs was born in Riga in 1955. He began his artistic education early, at the Janis Rozentāls Art High School (1968–1974), before moving to the Art Academy of Latvia (1974–1980), where he studied painting and turned to the likes of Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy and Marc Chagall for inspiration. Continuously curious, he followed a doctoral programme under Professor Eduards Kalniņš (1980–1983), before doing a year abroad in Paris at L’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Sorbonne Art Plastique (1987–1988). He immediately transitioned towards professorship, becoming an associate professor of the Art Academy of Latvia in 1992, a full professor in 1994, pro-rector of the institution from 1997 to 2007 and finally rector from 2007 to 2018.
As an artist, Naumovs embodies the pinnacle of Latvian contemporary plein air landscape painting. Indeed, his entire ‘alla prima’ work process is undertaken outside the studio, from conception to observation to finishing. As such, the artist spends a huge amount of time outdoors, as it is an essential part of his artistic practice. Through this familiarity with the exterior as a working environment, Naumovs has developed a unique appreciation and celebration of natural light in his art, instrumentalising the sun’s rays, or their absence, to convey a mood, an atmosphere, a moment. This focus naturally impacts his colours, which are spontaneous, emotional and rich in the tonal associations and spatial compositions they propose.
Through his unique approach, which recalls that of the impressionist masters, Naumovs has captured scenes such as the canals of Venice, the River Seine and Notre Dame in Paris, tinted by red sunlight, as well as the turquoise sea in Nice, magnificent Etruscan vases in Florence and the reflection of the sky in the pond of Ķidēnu House in Vecpiebalga.
Overall, his corpus can be segmented into distinct periods: at first, he tried to create Fauvist expressions using a tempera technique, and later on, he pursued abstract painting and experimented with impressionistic painting. This combination of these approaches has led to his work being described as ‘expressionistically impressionistic’.
Naumovs’ recent solo exhibitions include: On the Sunny Side, Tukums Art Museum, Tukums, Latvia (2020); Never-ending Landscape, Valmiera Museum, Valmiera, Latvia (2019); Never-ending Landscape, Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia (2018); Aleksejs Naumovs visit Gerderts Eliass, Gerderts Eliass’s Museum of Art and History, Jelgava, Latvia (2011); Turquoise, Māksla XO gallery, Riga, Latvia (2011); Paintings, Gallery Daugava, Riga, Latvia (2011); Landscape – XXI Century, Gallery Daugava, Riga, Latvia (2010); Landscape – XXI Century, Jūras vārti Theatre House, Ventspils, Latvia (2010); A Birthday, Gallery Daugava, Riga, Latvia (2009); Landscapes, M-Art Gallery, Brussels, Belgium (2007); My Paris, Carousell Gallery, Riga, Latvia (2006).
A member of the Latvian Artists’ Union since 1980, Naumovs is one of the founding members of the B13 international art association.
