Fire has a way of holding the human gaze. Watch its restless flames dance, and it is easy to lose oneself in the hypnotic movement.
In India, fire is often associated with both purity and destruction. For Latvian artist Arta Raituma, however, it is something else altogether — a creative collaborator.
In her hands, flames become a medium of artistic expression, transforming wooden surfaces into striking works of art.
Arta explores the creative possibilities of the element in her first-ever solo exhibition in India, ‘Dark Flame Streams Bright’, at Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi.
The Latvian artist, who has been living in Keralam for over a year, draws inspiration from the elements around her. A postgraduate from the Art Academy of Latvia, Arta takes us through her journey of discovering her distinctive artistic language.
She began as a classical oil painter. “Then, my thesis supervisor suggested that I try using the element (fire) on the surface rather than just depicting it. That was the initial push that led me to experiment with what I can actually do with flame,” she says.
Her early experiments involved combining fire with acrylic and oil paints. “Gradually, I started thinking about using fewer materials and going for a more pure approach, just organic materials. So, everything here is completely natural,” she says. “It was also one of my aims to just sort of alchemise a wooden surface with flame.”
Pointing to the artworks on display, Arta adds, “All the primary elements are involved here. This is a very particular technique that I call ‘fire drawing’ or ‘fire painting technique’.”
Not surprisingly, the longer one spends with these works, the more they exert the same hypnotic pull on the viewer as flames themselves.
Some, such as ‘The Gate’, may trigger pareidolia — the tendency to perceive familiar or meaningful images in random or ambiguous visual patterns. Others, such as ‘Stormy Clouds from Faraway’ and ‘Soulfire Spinning’, evoke something closer to a reverie.
Arta, who is passionate about fire dancing as well, says “an internal process” guides her work. “I go by the deep thoughts and feelings that the fire can induce in me,” she smiles.
“Perhaps that explains the surreal feel to some of my work. At the same time, I draw the actual inspiration for the visual images from nature, from my experience with nature.”
Arta’s distinctive style did not emerge overnight. “It was developed through experiments. Since I have my background in painting, I still often think like a painter and approach the surface I work with in layers,” she explains.
“I cover the surface of the wood that I don’t want to burn so that it retains its natural wood colour. I like to show the base layer that’s still wood with its grains.”
Her tools range from candles and matches to electric pyrography instruments. “Sometimes I use a gas torch. Each of them creates different colour and texture effects,” she says.
Arta has an equally unconventional approach to the creative process. “For me, creating my art is like a co-authorship with the elements,” she says.
“I like the fact that I am creating together with fire, and I let it also do what it wants visually. I try not to apply a lot of thought. I just go with the feeling and the process.”
The artworks currently on display were created over several years and in different parts of the world. “Some were created back in 2023 in Portugal, some were made in Latvia, and a few in Keralam. These works travelled with me,” she says.
Like India, fire is deeply ingrained in Latvian culture. For Arta, who is currently living with her Malayali partner in Kochi, working with the element is also a way of exploring her roots. “I have researched my own heritage and learnt that the role of fire is huge in it. We have these four seasons and have a lot of cold weather as well,” she says.
“People really live seasonally and appreciate when the weather is warm. There are certain rituals for these occasions, especially during the summer solstice. We have bonfires and weave flower crowns… these are pagan traditions. The role of fire is huge with it symbolising the sun, warmth and life as such. Next, I am keen to research more locally about fire since I live here now.”