Biography and information
At the age of 14 years as a space cadet, he went to Arkhangelsk, then as a "rabbit" in the US, where he studied briefly at art schools in new York and Cleveland (In Cleveland in 1912 he studied for two years with Professor Naga).
In 1920, Tidemanis returned to Latvia, Riga.
In 1922, together with his wife goes to Belgium. In 1927 he graduated from the Royal Academy of arts in Antwerp and received the degree of portraitist and figurative painter composity for the thesis "Sad". Additional education acquired at the Higher art Institute of Antwerp under I. Opsomer, at the same time also learned the technique of etching.
Painting Ya Tidemanis was influenced by Opsomer and Ensor.
In 1936, he returned to Riga, but in 1944, together with his wife emigrated to Germany, then to Switzerland, in 1948 – to Canada, Montreal, 1953, in Toronto.
In exhibitions Tidemanis involved since 1928. Personal exhibitions were in Riga (1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938), in Antwerp (1931, 1932, 1936), Kaunas, Paris (Ob in 1931), Tallinn (1936), several exhibitions in Canada. A memorial exhibition was in Toronto (1969), Riga (1982, 1997), in Valmiera (1987).
The artist painted large cities – Riga, Amsterdam, Brussels, types of ports, carnivals, markets, taverns,portraits, acts, still lifes (mostly of flowers). His painting is characterized by broad, energetic brushstroke, the tendency to deformation shapes, grotesque image creation and the use of contrasts of bright colours.
In 1932, the artist was awarded first prize for his work "Pereplavleni channel", which was exhibited at the Belgian exhibition in 10-their Olympic games in Los Angeles. In 1934, Tidemanis received the award for the painting "Spring" in the Belgian commemorative exhibition of the 100th anniversary. In 1935 he organized the Latvian pavilion in the world exhibition of household achievements in Brussels for the wall painting has received the diploma of Grand Prix. In 1936 the artist was awarded a second order of the Belgian king Leopold.
About J. Tidemanis's film "the Legend of Tidemanis" (dir. P. Krill, 1998).
Literature:
1) “Māksla un arhitektūra biogrāfijās” Atb. red. A. Vanaga – Rīga, 2000 – 3. sēj.
2) Siliņš J. “Latvijas māksla 1915 – 1940” – Stokholma, 1988 – 1. sēj.
