Ance Gricmane

Ance Gricmane is a Latvian-born visual artist, educator, systemic coach, and social entrepreneur with more than 18 years of experience in the arts. She blends artistic practice with emotional wellness, creating works and programs that explore inner landscapes, healing, and human connection.

 

Ance was born in Talsi, Latvia and began her artistic journey early, participating in exhibitions from 2007 onward. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at the European Christian Academy (2006–2010) and went on to earn her Master of Arts (Mg.art.) in Painting, Drawing, Digital & Video Arts, Art Pedagogy, and Methodology from the Art Academy of Latvia (2011–2013).

 

She later pursued doctoral studies in Art History and Contemporary Practices at the Art Academy of Latvia (2013–2017). To deepen her understanding of art and wellbeing, Ance also studied medical art therapy at Riga Stradiņš University, where she explored psychology, therapeutic techniques, and ethics (2018–2020).

 

Ance has exhibited her work internationally, with numerous solo and group shows across Europe and beyond. Her artistic output includes series such as Sacred Abstraction, Made in Cyprus, and thematic explorations of music, color, and emotion. Her work is characterized by symbolic layering, gold leaf, textures, and sometimes musical notation, all aiming to evoke inner reflection.

 

Notable exhibitions include:

• “Mine” at the Gallery of the Artists’ Union of Latvia

• “Ego” at Rietumu Bank Gallery in Latvia

• “Sacred Abstraction” featuring in museums such as the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk, Belarus, and the State Darwin Museum in Moscow

• “Made in Cyprus” in Cyprus, blending cultural heritage with personal reflection

 

Her work is held in institutional collections, including the Marc Chagall Museum, the National Museums of Kaluga and Ryazan in Russia, the Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum, and private collections worldwide.

 

Beyond creating art, Ance has been active as an educator and lecturer. She has served as a guest researcher and lecturer at multiple universities across Europe, including the University of Greifswald, University of Tartu, and others. She has taught at the American University of Cyprus in Larnaca and the University of Applied Sciences Latvia.

 

She regularly presents her work and research at conferences, including discussions on topics like the integration of art and emotion, synesthesia, and art therapy processes.

 

In 2019, Ance founded Emotion Lab, a social enterprise focused on therapeutic art programs and emotional resilience. As its CEO and a certified systemic coach (ICF/ECF), she leads workshops, 1:1 sessions, and corporate programs that use art as a pathway for emotional processing, self-discovery, and wellbeing — no prior artistic experience required.

 

Her coaching work draws on both psychological principles and artistic creativity, helping individuals and teams navigate transitions, reduce stress, and enhance resilience.

 

Ance describes her work as a dialogue between the soul and the unseen. Through her vivid compositions, she invites audiences to reflect inwardly, connecting visual form with emotional experience. Her art often references heritage, sound, memory, and universal emotional languages.