Gatis Cirulis

Gatis is a visual artist, illustrator, printmaker, and educator who began studying art at age eight in Latvia. His work merges the observed and the imagined, creating symbolic and surreal imagery that draws from nature, folklore, memory, and the complexities of human experience. Influenced by both his Baltic heritage and the landscapes of the American Southwest, he constructs intricate visual worlds populated by figures, animals, plants, and recurring symbols. Working across mixed media, painting, drawing, and printmaking, Gatis embraces a process driven by craftsmanship, experimentation, and intuition. He holds an MFA from Indiana University, has taught art at New Mexico State University, and currently teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts. His work invites viewers into spaces where meaning remains fluid, revealing new connections and interpretations over time.