Latvian artists donate works to support families affected by Nepal tragedy

Seventeen Latvian artists have donated works to a charity project supporting families whose relatives went missing in Nepal, LSM reported. The works will first be displayed and then auctioned, with all proceeds given to the affected families.

The project, titled “Over the Mountains to Our Own,” was organised by Māra Andersone-Freimane, a friend of the Fūrmaņi family. The family was particularly badly affected by the tragedy: Pauls and Klaudija lost both their mother and father and must now learn to live independently.

Pauls, who is 19, is now responsible for tasks previously handled by his father, including arranging heating for the winter and purchasing fuel pellets, Andersone-Freimane said.

Seven families of people missing in Nepal have already sought financial assistance. Seventeen Latvian artists have agreed to contribute works to the charity auction, allowing organisers to choose from their catalogues, Andersone-Freimane said.

The exhibition is scheduled to open on October 4, according to information published by the organisers on Instagram.

Ieva Taranda, a relative of the Fūrmaņi family, said that 33 other relatives in Nepal were also affected. The organisers decided to broaden the project and approached people who wanted to receive help.

Taranda is supporting her husband’s sister’s children, Pauls and Klaudija, by selling her paintings. All of her earlier works have already been bought, and she is painting new ones.

“We are all shaken and trying to continue living,” Taranda said, describing her gradual acceptance of what happened.