Solo exhibition "LOOK – IN THE SURF, A GOLDFISH! NOW MAKE A WISH!" at Māksla XO Gallery, Riga, Latvia

We fished. 

Each on our own jetty.

Each in our own hour.

Each caught a goldfish… /Sandra Strele/

In her artistic practice, Sandra Strēle explores expanded forms of painting, creating large-scale series in which narratives, motifs, and figures develop and transform, forming continuous storylines. In her latest series, Sandra Strēle continues the theme introduced in her 2025 solo exhibition “The Night Before” at the Mark Rothko Museum in Daugavpils: the human aspiration to find harmony and happiness, to encounter another person with whom to share this sense of fulfilment, and to remain at peace against the backdrop of a turbulent world.  Central to the series is the image of the goldfish – a figure we have trusted since childhood as the embodiment of the promise that anything is possible. Emphasising the significance of this symbol, rooted in ancient Chinese mythology and associated with happiness, prosperity, peace, and good fortune – as well as with the power to attract positive energy and ward off misfortune – the artist invites reflection on the meaning of our wishes and our faith in them at a time when the global order feels unstable and unsettling.

Photos: Santa Sahatunova, Sandra Strēle