In bloom: see a generation blossom in Latvia’s magical wilderness

Ieva Raudsepa’s ongoing project Bloom (2017) focuses on the first generation born and raised in Latvia after the country regained its independence in 1991. Combining idyllic landscapes with frank, clear portraiture, Bloom is a snapshot of youth, and also a study of the narrative of Latvian national identity. Raudsepa revisits the cultural references and visual tropes which appeared during the first period of independence, from 1918 to 1940, applying them to the current image of Latvian identity. Currently based in Los Angeles, Raudsepa examines both the sense of attachment and anxiety which can come with belonging to a particular nation.