On June 21, 2023 at 16:00, the opening ceremony of the book "Pastels and Haiku" by the architect and artist Dainis Bērziņš will be held in the museum "Riga Art Nouveau center".
In the book "Pastels and haikus" you can see 100 pastels depicting Latvian landscape, sky, waters, forests and meadows in the changing seasons. Each drawing is accompanied by a short, non-rhyming three-line, or Japanese haiku. The book concludes with the afterword of Ojārs Spārītis, professor of the Latvian Academy of Arts.
Dainis Bērziņš paints landscapes in pastel technique in parallel to his work as an architect. Rarely, but also paints still lifes, portraits and acts. Art scholars place pastels between drawing and painting, but Dainis Bērziņš pastels, with nuanced color areas and the presence of small graphic lines, can be placed closer to the genre of painting. "On the daily basis we work with abstract architectural forms. At that time, when you don't have to work with architecture, real feelings seem so attractive - to capture a moment and not let it go", the artist once said.
The author has dedicated the book "Pastels and Haiku" to the memory of his wife, architect Benita Bēržina.
Dainis Bērziņš is an architect, assistant professor of the Faculty of Architecture of Riga Technical University, co-owner of "Vecumnieks&Bērziņi" Architects' Office, co-author of many important projects (hotel "Hotel de Rome", "Konventa sēta", "Swedbank" building on Kaļķu street in Riga, Brothers' cemetery in Lestenė). As an artist, Dainis Bērziņš is a member of the Liepāja artists' society "Art Colleagues", participated in 36 group exhibitions in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and held 13 personal exhibitions, including an exhibition in the genre of still life in the museum "Riga Art Nouveau Center".