Biography
Janis Pauluks was born on September 2nd, 1906, in Riga, Latvia. His father - Anton Pauluks - was a farmer from Latvia, and his mother - Agata Mozeika - was Lithuanian. He was the third child out of four in this family.
He started going to V. Olavs’ commercial school in 1914 but unfortunately was forced to leave it in the 5th grade in year 1922.
Due to poor financial family situation, Janis Pauluks started his adult life early – he worked as a draftsman and calligrapher in The Ministry of Agriculture in the Surveying Division at the age of 16. This speciality developed strong precision and comprehension of composition, which later in life resulted in Pauluks’ painting talent. Pauluks quit the job in the early 1939 to pursue his dream - studying in The Art Academy of Latvia, first applying in the Graphic Art department, but soon realising his great attraction towards painting.
His mastered calligraphy skills and self-disciplined preparation opened him doors to the academy in 1938. He did not only became a painter at 32 years old, but he was ahead of his fellow colleagues in many disciplines such as drawing, painting, anatomy and art history.
The life of Pauluks cannot be imagined without women. He married the eighteen-year-old Felicita Janke in June 23, 1942, with whom he met at the Art Academy of Latvia and spent 10 years living together. In spite of her being the love of his life and a massive influence on Pauluks’ artistic practice, they both parted their ways later in life.
Shortly afterwards, Pauluks met Lidiya Rahmanina and they tied their knot in the year 1966. Then their daughter Inta was born, but the marriage did not last for long.
Pauluks time as an artist and a public figure did not come without controversy. His member position in The Artists Union of Latvia was changing pretty frequently due to his unique and impetuous character – some of his arguments both enrolled and expelled him back and forth for many years. Only starting from the year 1968, he managed to keep his member status until the end of his life.
Janis Pauluks died on June 23rd , 1984. He was buried on Artists’ hill in Forest Cemetery, Riga.
Artistic spirit
Over the span of more than 40 prosperous years of painting, Janis Pauluks had created 600 to 700 artworks in oil technique, leaving behind a legacy of dynamic energy and inspiration for the next generations. His artworks are saturated with thematic and expressive diversity – landscapes, figural compositions, still life, marine art, portraits and self-portraits created in experimental styles, coloristic tones and factures.
In the late 1930s, he embarked on a period of experimentation with mediums and techniques. After enrolling in the Art Academy of Latvia at the age of 32, Pauluks felt that his inner talent had to be improved by learning the academic art practice. He approached painting with professional attitude and profound studies - researched and explored painting technologies to the last bit, played with color interactions, experimented with varnishes and created compositions with organized logic. His first period of work consist of portraits, self-portraits and figural compositions – the most depicted person being his first wife, the everlasting love and muse Felicita.
Pauluks’ surveying drawing experience and his trained eyes as a calligraphist had formed a great sense of order and precision, while his powerful individuality and emotional passion worked as catalyst for his impetuous expression in paintings. This combination worked wonderfully with his comprehension in composition.
The second period of Pauluks’ creative work is linked to 1950’s, and came with changes in his painting signature – from the sombre tones he switched to lighter, brighter and looser artistic handwriting. Virtuosity of lines, color intensity and natural composition – all that “tangled” into the pictures mastered by him.
The artistic saturation was enhanced by the multilayered facture and fearlessness of mistakes. Pauluks didn’t precieve facture as a decorative element, but rather as history of process for each painting. Facture and brushstroke was Pauluks’ main art signatures – the thickness of paint on the surface sometimes reached dangerous levels, violating the classic limits of painting. A major innovation in his creative work was the supple and colorful single lines that turned the static paintings turbulent and dynamic, depicting the era’s artistic scene around him. As a former callighraphist, he had mastered the art of line splendidly.
Janis Pauluks’ colorist talent was undeniable – with its own original character, lively colors and abundant, original palette. He had always seeked for knowledge in the nature and did not deny its stigma. The artist had always cherished the sun, which became the centre of attention in the late 1950’s. Pauluks loved sunbathing, as well as creating sun-drenched ambertone landscapes, seasides and people’s faces in his paintings. In fact, a large-format work that gained acclaim in many international exhibitions was called “Let there always be sun!”.
The last contribution of Pauluks in Latvian painting scene is percieved as the most masterful and innovative. It was the 1960’s, when Pauluks’ painting manner had transitioned once again into “maturity” phase – the character of the works was dynamic with wider color spectrum.
Interesting facts
Janis Pauluks’ persistence and sporty spirit had successfuly resulted not only in the art scene. He was keen on skiing, usually visiting Cirulisi mounatin, and had obtained skills for complicated stunts, never done in Latvia previously.
His “emotional discharge” was writing. There were countless letters written to friends, relatives and himself. There is a whole “file” with Pauluks’ emotional letters, notes and other documents that portray his extraordinary character.
Pauluks had an exquisitly accurate and beautiful calligraphic handwriting, just like his other siblings. His handwriting was recognized at the highest levels – he even was awarded with European Calligraphy 1st title.
One of Pauluks’ passions was sailing on his own yacht called “Vita” with sail number 013. He bought the yacht at the beginning of 1930 before applying in The Art Academy of Latvia. In the later years, we can see his sincere admiration towards yachts and the sea in his works.
In most of Pauluks’ early paintings, we can meet with revealing portraits of his first wife Felicita, even though she had never posed for him, as told by Felicita herself. The depictions of this stunning woman was painted whole from Pauluks’ memories and imagination.