Born on October 8, 1911 and died on April 19, 1940 in Riga. Graphic artist, painter.
Studies at the Art Academy of Latvia (1928 - 1934) and the Printmaking Workshop, graduate of V. Purvitis' Workshop of Landscape Painting. An extravagant, solitary and legendary personality in Latvian art. He was a refined romantic, Riga dandy of the 1930ies. Padegs acquired an original style and introduced shocking themes that sharply contrasted with the usually lyrical or heroic Latvian art of his time. He favored themes of modern urban life, antiwar subjects, ideal dream world, and sarcastic self-portraits. Bitter irony, grotesque, and paradoxes are among his most frequently employed means of expression. He used expressive distortion, refined features, sharp contrasts. He worked in oil, Indian ink, and ink wash, which were occasionally complemented with watercolors.
References: Art and Architecture. Biographies, II. Riga, 1996; Latvian Fine Arts in 1860 - 1940. Riga, 1986; J. Silins. Latvian Art in 1915 - 1940, III. Stockholm, 1993; J. Kalnacs. ...a Dream Drawer too: Karlis Padegs. Riga, 1993;Variations on Karlis Padegs' Theme. Riga, 1996; Catalogue of Karlis Padegs' Works / Compiled by J. Kalnacs. Riga, 1997