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Evija Rudzite

Once the iconographer has painted the icon, it begins to live its own spiritual life. It undoubtedly influences, speaks to, transforms the person who approaches it, looks at it, prays to it. "

Evija Rudzite
Evija Rudzite

I am Evija Rudzīte - an icon painter and teacher. Painting icons has become my life and an inner necessity. It is my prayer, my service.

I studied iconography at the Latvian (now European) Christian Academy. The icon attracted me with its message of the spiritual, transcendent and otherworldly. It was the language in which it was possible to speak and think about faith, the Church and God.

Beyond that, I seem to have followed the classical path of the icon painter. At first it was a fascination with the mysterious, the sacred. Then came the desire to share it with others. After this I realised that this is, in fact, my way of faith, my way to God and fellowship with God.

I am a Lutheran who paints Orthodox icons. I have always painted what has spoken to me, inspired me, influenced me, what seemed to me at the time to be the most accurate affirmation of my faith. In recent years I have been fascinated by the frescoes in the churches of Cappadocia and Georgia, especially in the Svaneti region. In them, I see authenticity and transcendence, the pure vision of God that is held by children when heaven seems immanent and the world around us is superfluous.

Since 2012, as a member of the Latvian Society of Iconographers, I have organised and participated in more than 30 exhibitions in various Latvian cities, also in Sweden and Belgium in churches, museums and exhibition spaces.

Iconography is a form of evangelisation. It is my opportunity to affirm my faith, to tell the people around me about God, to glorify Him, to serve. Once the iconographer has painted the icon, it begins to live its own spiritual life. It undoubtedly influences, speaks to, transforms the person who approaches it, looks at it, prays to it.

 

UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council

The Women's Iconography project team gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in funding the full project (2023-) through its Impact Acceleration Account scheme.