Sovereignty

It is with great pleasure that I unveil my latest work, “Sovereignty”. This is the first painting that I created in Lugano.

When I came from Belgium to Lugano, I immediately found myself captivated by the majestic presence of San Salvatore, a solitary mountain rising over Lake Lugano. Though not a literal depiction, the spirit of this mountain certainly served as an important source of inspiration for this work of art, in which it stands an emblem of sovereignty and inner strength.

This painting is also a reflection of a serendipitous discovery of a museum dedicated to Rainis and Aspazija, two prolific writers and poets from Latvia, my home country. As I learned just a few days after arriving in Lugano, the museum commemorating their political exile in Switzerland between 1908 and 1920, was just a stone’s throw from my house. For Rainis, San Salvatore was a symbol of independence of his country, Latvia, to which he and his wife Aspazija returned after their stay in Lugano, during which they had created their most notable literary works.

At the heart of “Sovereignty” sails a small boat with crimson sails. The crimson boat is a personal homage to my father, who often read to me the enchanting tale of “Red Sails” by Russian author Alexander Grin. In that story, a young woman’s destiny unfolds with the arrival of a prince on a ship adorned with scarlet sails, fulfilling a prophecy from her childhood. Yet, in my interpretation, the boat charts a different course, and there’s no prince in sight. It is a symbol of self-reliance and a reminder that we do not need to wait for a prince or saviour who will fulfil our desires. With our own hands, we can craft the vessel that carries us toward our dreams.

“Sovereignty” speaks to the sovereignty of the spirit—an ode to inner freedom, resilience, and the reclamation of personal power.

Sovereignty, acrylic on canvas, 100x120 cm