Lydia Dombrovska Larsen- Biography

Born in Riga, Latvia, Lidija studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1951-1955 before advancing her studies in the studios of renowned artists Fernand Leger and S.W Hayters ‘Atelier 17’ in France. It was during the 50s that Lidija established herself as one of the first abstract expressionists in Denmark. The fact that she was a frontrunner of abstract expressionism, and a “Woman” meant that Lidijas art became highly distinguished and sought after in Denmark.

After a heavy schedule in Denmark, numerous exhibitions in the USA, Canada and throughout the majority of Europe followed.( just to name a few). In all, she has had over 150 solo and group exhibitions throughout her career.

Since arriving in Australia on 1983 Lydija has created an exhaustive array of work. Not only has she continued her comprehensive investigation of expressionism, but has also found the time to author 18 books. (Unfortunately for us , they are all written in her native tongue as well as some in Danish). In addition to this already mind boggling array of creativity, she has also tutored and supervised painting and drawing at the school of art at Curtin University.

Lidjias work is characterized by her unbridled use of rich, bold colour. Canvases with rivers of pigment flowing beyond abstract shapes reveal messages of intimacy coupled with the underlying grief of the artist. “As the world becomes more technical, we have less time to express love,” she laments. Through her work, an attempt is made to rectify the balance between the industrialization of modern life and the need for expressions of emotion which are so fleeting in our time.

The methodology of Lidijas art practice revolves around spontenaiety: her works develop from one painting to the next guided all the while by the compositions of Bach and other musicians and the immense feeling of autonomy that residing in Australia offers.

Lidija is represented in a myriad of public and private collections, museums and art foundations worldwide. In Perth she is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and a majority of Perths hospital art collections just to name a few.

For larger images, please click on the thumbnails.