Peteris (Peter) Ciemitis’ art practice spans 20 years, and includes numerous solo and group shows as well as significant art prizes and commissions. In 2010 he won the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, and has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize twice. Peter’s work is represented in major collections and museums including the National Portrait Gallery (Canberra). In 2013 and 2014 he represented Australia in the Shanghai/Changzhou International Art Festival, and the Qingdao International Art Biennale respectively.

In particular, Ciemitis is known for contemporary portraiture. “From an artist’s perspective, portraiture today revolves around studying and reflecting on the psyche and internal narratives of his subjects. This is why my portraits are frequently cropped; to move towards abstraction and ‘mapping’ as a device to focus on the interior”