Una Taal is known for her compelling portraying of seemingly ordinary scenes through her ability to notice meaningful details that convey a multi layered story of either a person, a place or experience. Her chosen language mostly is black and white photography, but the captured emotional background covers all colour spectrums. She manages to pull the right strings by carefully bringing very personal, private issues to the public surface hence encouraging the fragile yet often uncomfortable topics.

She was born in Valka, a small town on the border with neighbouring Estonia. Her first contact with art was at the age of 12, when she entered the Art School. There she studied composition, painting, art history and drawing. Una’s professional path leads through years of experience in event production and music management. Documenting backstage life of Latvian musicians started as a passion project and resulted as the urge to pursue further studies in photography.

Year 2021 became a landmark in Una’s creative biography by publishing her first photo book “Her Northern Roots”. The book narrates a story of Latvian women, their values, traditions, and necessity to define their own place individually and collectively. Over a hundred women, from a little girl holding her mother’s hand to the former President of Latvia, were captured in their own places of strength, solace and inspiration forming one whole vision of a contemporary Latvian woman.

Education:

2008 – 2012 University of Latvia, BA Communication Science

2012 – 2015 Latvian Academy of Culture, Masters in Art

2020 – 2022 ISSP School, contemporary photography

Solo exhibitions:

“How much I little we know of each other”, Latvia, Salaspils, 2019

“Her Northern Calling”, Latvia, Riga, 2022

“Her Northern Roots”, Latvia, Talsi, 2023

“Her Northern Calling”, Latvia, Madona, 2023

“Her Northern Calling”, Latvia, Pilsundale, 2024

“Her Northern Calling”, Latvia, Liepaja, 2024

Group exhibitions:

"Mākslas rija", Landmark Center, North Gallery, USA, 2022

“Shooting stars”, ISSP Gallery, Latvia, Riga, 2022

“Exhibit at CSW2023”, Centre of Contemporary art in Torun, Poland, 2023

Awards:

Nomination for the Latvian Book Design Award “Zelta ābele 2021”, Latvia 2022

Nomination in the 9th edition of Fine Art Photograpy Awards, London, 2023

Honorable mention in 7th edition of Monovisions Photography Awards, London, 2023

CSW Torun, Poland, 2023

 Works in collections:

Olafoundation.lv