CV

LAURA VECMANE

2012 Art Academy of Latvia, Master of Fine Arts in Painting


2009 Vraa Højskole, Analog Photography Course, Denmark


2008 Art Academy of Latvia, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting


2006 – 2007 University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Fine Arts, Erasmus Student Exchange Programme, Spain

2002 – 2004 Latvian Christian Academy, Altarpieces, Icons, Graphics

Professional Development

2026
Professional development workshop “Painting with Clay” with ceramicist Līga Skariņa,Beļava Manor, August
Professional development workshop “Pit Firing” with ceramicist Linda Zelta, Beļava Manor, August
Erasmus+ studies “Innovative Teaching Methods”, Padua, Italy, March

2025
Professional development workshop “Sculptural Forming” with designer Irita Tīlane- Pakalniņa, Gulbene Art School, December
Professional development workshop “The Art of Creating from Nothing” with ceramicist Imants Klīdzējs, Gulbene Art School, November
Professional development workshop “Vessels with Multi-Coloured Clays” with Laimdota Kliesmete, Gulbene Art School, November
Professional development workshop “Clay Pouring Art”, Earthbender Studio, Estonia, October
Professional development workshop “Vidzeme Ceramics with the Latgale Colour Palette” with ceramicist Uģis Puzulis, Gulbene Art School, October 

Professional development workshop “How Clay is Born. Tea Ceremony Vessels” with ceramicist Linda Zelta, Gulbene Art School, September
Professional competence seminar “Ceramics and Education — Possibilities, Reality, Intentions, Future Visions”, Latvian National Cultural Centre, Sigulda, May
Participation in art conference “Liberts 130. Freedom to Be. Liberty”, Gulbene Art School, April
Professional competence seminar “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Various Aspects of Restoration”, March
Professional competence seminar “Nature Studies in the Context of Contemporary Art — Emphases in Art School Curriculum”, January

2024
Professional competence lecture “Composition of Artworks” and masterclass in composition, Latvian National Cultural Centre, Sigulda, October
Two-day professional development masterclass “Studies in Ancient Ceramic Techniques” with potter Einārs Dumpis, August

2023
Participation in art conference “Two Julius”

2021-2022 

Professional development and mentorship with sculptor Janna Pameijer

2021
Kaya Sulc Artist-in-Residence (AIR), Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, QLD

2020 

Artist-in-Residence (AIR), Janna Pameijer Ceramics and Sculpture Studio

2019 

Ephemeral art masterclass, Floating Land Biennale, mentored by Leonie Barton

2018

Ephemeral art intensive workshop “Collaborating with Nature”, mentored by Shona Wilson

Solo Exhibitions 


2026 — “Still Earth”, landscapes, Creative Space ISTABA, Lejasciems, Gulbene, Latvia
2025 — “A Different Landscape”, ceramics and paintings, One Artwork Gallery, Plungė, Lithuania

2025 — “Peace and Symmetry”, Gulbene Railway Station Art Studio, Gulbene, Latvia
2021 — “Retrospective exhibition” Open Studios Sunshine Coast, solo pop- up gallery, Maleny, QLD

2017 — “Inspirations”, Lift Gallery, Maleny, QLD

2009 — “Journey”, Vraa Højskole Exhibition Hall, Denmark

2008 — “Postcards and Déjà Vu”, Latvian Society House, Sydney, NSW

2006 — “From Inspiration and Poetry”, Talsi Regional Museum, Talsi, Latvia

Group Exhibitions 


2026 — “Slow Time”, duo exhibition with artist Sandra Dikmane, Stāmeriena Palace
2025 — “Rebirth”, Gulbene Region Ceramics Community Exhibition, Stāmeriena Palace
2024 — “The New Current”, Gulbene Region Museum of Art and History 

2024 — “Naturally”, duo exhibition with painter Neonilla Medvedeva, Stāmeriena Palace
2023 — “Synchronicity”, The Zone Gallery, Maleny, QLD

2023 — “Field Notes”, The Zone Gallery, Maleny, QLD

2022 — “Local Artist Local Content (LALC) Finalists Exhibition”, Caloundra Regional Gallery, QLD
2022 — Open Studios Sunshine Coast, joint exhibition with sculptor Janna Pameijer

2021 — “Let’s Play Wild”, project and exhibition, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, QLD
2021 — “LALC Finalists Exhibition”, Caloundra Regional Gallery, QLD

2021 — “40 Under 40 Exhibition”, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, QLD

2020 — “Maleny Cream @ Butter Factory”, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, QLD

2020 — “Sculpture on the Edge”, Maleny, QLD

2020 — “40 Under 40 Exhibition”, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, QLD

2019 — “Elemental”, Greydons Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

2019 — “Ephemeral Art Trail”, Floating Land Biennale, Noosa, QLD

2019 — “Sculpture on the Edge”, Maleny, QLD

2019 — “Compassion Exhibition”, Nambour Old Ambulance Gallery, Sunshine Coast, QLD
2018 — “Unframed”, Cool Art Gallery, Coolum, QLD

2018 — “Sculpture on the Edge”, Maleny, QLD

2017 — “Sculpture on the Edge”, Maleny, QLD

2017 — “Maleny by Night”, Palette Life Garden Café, Maleny, QLD

2017 — “Forest Art Trail”, Horizon Festival, Maleny, QLD

2016 — “Local Artist Local Content (LALC) Finalists Exhibition”, Caloundra Regional Gallery, QLD

2013 — “Latvian Art Comes to Scotland”, Hema Bar, Edinburgh, Scotland

2012 — “Graduation”, 12 Star Gallery, London, England

2012 — “Connection”, Talsi Regional Museum, Talsi, Latvia

2009 — “The Unbearable Freedom”, Mākslas Dārzs Gallery, Riga, Latvia

2009 — “European Cities in Paintings by Latvian Artists”, Brussels, Belgium

2009 — “The Man in My Life”, Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

2008 — “Riga – Nuremberg”, Nuremberg Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg, Germany
2008 — “The World’s Largest Choir”, UNESCO, Paris, France

Awards and Prizes

2019 — Second Prize, Sculpture on the Edge, QLD

2018 — Major Prize, Sculpture on the Edge, QLD

2017 — Finalist, Obi Obi Art Award, QLD

2016 — Finalist, Local Artist Local Content (LALC), Caloundra, QLD

2008 — Best Bachelor’s Thesis, Art Academy of Latvia — Vilhelms Purvītis Scholarship, Latvia
2008 — Ludolfs Liberts Scholarship in Painting

2008 — Grand Prix, Alberts Foundation Award in Painting — Wooden Architecture in Riga

Projects / Grants

2025 Vidzeme Historical Lands Cultural Programme. Project: Tālava Clayworkers. Promoting Traditional and Contemporary Knowledge in the Gulbene Region Ceramics Community — Author and project lead.


2024 Latvian Cultural Capital Foundation (VKKF) Creative Fellowship. Project: Interior Space on the Carousel of Eras — Creation of new artworks, workshop, and exhibition at Stāmeriena Palace.

2021 RADF and RAF Grant, Arts Queensland. Professional Development and Mentorship with Sculptor Janna Pameijer.


2020 RADF and RAF Grant, Arts Queensland. Let’s Play Wild — Collaborative artist residency, workshop development, and exhibition at Butter Factory Arts Centre.

2018 RADF Grant, Arts Queensland. Mentorship in Mosaic Art. 2017 — RADF Grant, Arts Queensland. Forest Art Trail.

Bibliography

Lina Ruibienė, “Inspired by M.K. Čiurlionis: Latvian Artist in Plungė Presented the Exhibition”, labasplunge.lt, April 2025

Herta Pugača, “Taking Root and Growing Together”, Gulbenes Novada Kultūra, No. 2, May 2025
Chris Gilmore, “A Walk on the Wild Side”, Sunny Coast Times, 3 May 2021

Roxanne Maccarty-O’Kane, “Call of the Wild”, Salt Magazine, Winter 2019, pp. 112–115 Laura Vecmane, “Latvia Leads to Sculpture on the Edge (SOTE)”, Hinterland Times, August 2017, pp. 4–5