For the two Latvian National Treasures – Potatoes and Women

When focusing on the ‘culture’ in agriculture, we talk about caring or tending, yet globalisation and growing demands push us to expand into natural environments. Efficiency-driven farming reduces the presence of native varieties in the land we care for — plants that have become part of our culture and identity.

Historically, Latvia has been a nation of devoted potato consumers. In 2018, it ranked third in Europe for potato consumption per capita, at 113 kg per person (FAO). Many domestic potato varieties have been cultivated in response, often named after women significant to their breeders — their mothers, wives, or daughters. Thus, the artist argues that potatoes and women are Latvia’s national treasures.

The silkscreens and sculptures portray women and the potato varieties that bear their names. These pieces enable viewers to look both the women and the potatoes in the eye simultaneously. As well as the ‘Latvian women’, the artist includes the once popular Slovenian variety Igor, nearly wiped out by the Y virus. In an effort to keep him in our collective memory—and hoping for new love to spur—she introduces him to the Latvian varieties such as Magdalena, Zīle, Laimdota.

For her sculptures, she uses stones primarily found in potato fields to emphasise their connection to the natural world. “A stone is a mass of hard, compacted mineral that has formed over a long period of time. Somehow, I think this is a fitting metaphor for Latvian women,” the artist reflects. She also notes, that to this day, no Latvian potato variety bears her name.

My gratitude to the Priekuļi Field Plant Breeding Institute