NOBA Award (Nordic & Baltic Young Artist Award) is a unique international art competition in the region that involves young talents at the beginning of their professional career. In 2022 the 7th edition of the NOBA Award presented overall 80 emerging artists with 156 artworks from art academies in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland.
The prize for NOBA Award Public Choice 2022 was handed out a few weeks ago to a Lithuanian artist Laura Marija Salkauskiene for her artwork Emptiness and energy II.
The Grand Prix goes to Latvian artist Laura Aizporiete for her large-scale installation Garage 119. The Young Painter Award goes to another Latvian artist Ingrida Ivane for her 4,8 x 6,4 meters massive painting 34 29.
According to the jury member Andris Vītoliņš, Art Academy of Latvia Pro-rector and the painting department professor, the winners' works are impressive already in scale, but also in technical execution.
Founder of the NOBA Award Andra Orn adds that usually the competition has been a close contest, but this year both awardees beat others by a significant majority of points. The jury members saw a general potential in these artists to stand out in the international perspective, dealing with topics and themes that are relevant.
NOBA Award 2022 international jury included Ieva Skauronė, rector of Vilnius Academy of Arts, the dean of Oslo National Academy of the Arts, art historian and curator Sarah Lookofsky, associate professor at Umeå Academy of Fine Arts Per Nilsson, rector of Iceland University of the Arts Fríða Björk Ingvarsdóttir, Taina Erävaara and Dr. Vesa Taatila from Turku University of Applied Sciences, Anne Klontz from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Andris Vītoliņš from Art Academy of Latvia, Pire Sova, gallerist of Estonian Art Academy, lecturer at Uniarts Helsinki Harri Monni, Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and, Helsinki biennial 2020 head curator Pirkko Siitari and Andra Orn from NOBA.ac.
You can see all the artwork on the official competition website!
