Juris Petraškevičs

Graduated from Riga Applied Art School and the Graphic Art Department of the Latvian Academy of Art. His diploma work was a series of mezzotints under the tuition of G. Krollis. He is Associate Professor at the Graphic Art Department of the Latvian Academy of Art and art director for the publishers Neputns. He has participated in exhibitions since 1972 and has held more than fifteen solo exhibitions. He received the annual Lielais Kristaps film award for the animation films “Sleep Train” (Miega vilcieniņš) in 1998 and “The Unusual Rigans” (Neparastie Rīdzinieki) in 2001 (both directed by R. Stiebra at the animation studio Dauka). During the last ten years he has taken part in more than twenty group exhibitions in Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Britain, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. In his work he has developed various original techniques. Since 1980 he has been involved in book art and design, as well as miniature graphic art – creating bookmarks.

He has received recognition and diplomas at the Tallinn Print Triennials (Grand Prix in 1983 and diploma in 1989) and at the Artist’s Book Triennials in Vilnius (prize in 1984; main prize in 1987 and prize in 1990). He received second prize in the competition for the best book in the Baltic. He was recognized as the Year’s best artist and received the Annual Prize for Book Publishing in 2001 (for the book “Wooden Riga” – Koka Rīga. R.: Neputns, Latvia Nostra, 2001). Every year, one of the albums of catalogues on art or cultural history created by J. Petraškevičs has been acclaimed in book art competitions. J. Petraškevičs has also won acclaim in the field of children’s book illustration. In 2009 he took part in the 3rd Tallinn Illustration Triennial. The book “The Unusual Rigans” was included in the 2010 White Ravens List of the International Youth Library (Munich). For the illustrations and design of the book “Brother and Sister” by I. Zandere (Māsa un brālis. R.: liels un mazs, 2006) he received the 2006 Annual Prize for Book Publishing and the 2007 Jānis Baltvilks Prize. For this book J. Petraškevičs was included in the IBBY Honour List of world illustration in 2008.

J. Petraškevičs illustrations for the fairy-tale inspired poems and a new publication in 2008, accompanied by an animated film (I. Zandere. Dzejoļi māsai un brālim. Director: R. Stiebra). The work was nominated for the 2008 Jānis Baltvilks Prize.

Only adults like books for adults, but both adults and children like children’s books. (Juris Petraškēvičs)