For Aleksandrs Breže, environmental design and the functionality of the objects we surround ourselves with are the main sources of inspiration.

Breže is passionate about the narrow distinction between contemporary art and object design – how the first can be domesticated and the latter used for contemplation. In his work, he enlivens pieces of furniture and interior elements by playing with associations and blending boundaries between traditional and futuristic aesthetics.

Through abstract spatial installations, Breže explores the clash between written laws, religious values and the harsh reality of institutional control. His art delves into the struggle for individuality amidst enforced conformity.

The laser-cut, welded, twisted and stretched sculptures in the exhibition were inspired by the artist's personal life. The aesthetics of the church were brought into the works as a result of his upbringing in a religious boarding school. Environmental design is also one of Breže's main sources of inspiration.

"I have always been fascinated by the biologist Ernest Heckel and his illustrations. It's one of the sources from which the imagery evolves, because it's always on my mind. There's also Art Nouveau and maybe Gothic architecture, it all blends together here," Breže told ERR.

Aleksandrs Breže's solo exhibition "Succumbing to Temptation," opened at the Kogo Gallery in Tartu's Aparaaditehas on August 30 at 6 p.m. It will remain on display until October 12. The opening was part of the program of the latest Tartu Gallery Night and the Aparaaditehas Festival.

The Kogo Gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday from 12 midday until 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from midday until 4 p.m. Aleksandrs Breže's exhibition is part of the Kogo Gallery's 2024 program "Performing Existence," which was created in dialogue with the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

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