The Riga Birža art museum has launched a new spring exhibition titled 'Snow Melts. Japanese Art,' inspired by the Japanese haiku of Kobayashi Issa, which evokes themes of beauty in nature and its transience. Curator Kristīne Milere emphasized that the Latvian National Museum of Art hosts the largest collection of Asian art in Latvia and one of the largest in the Baltic states, with Japanese art being a vital component of this collection.

The exhibition features around five hundred colorful Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, offering a rare opportunity for the public to witness these artworks. The curator noted that while exploring the collection, they discovered a rich thematic connection to spring, which appears across various mediums in their inventory, including ceramics, porcelain, and lacquer items. Many of these pieces are being showcased for the first time and bring a fresh perspective on seasonal themes in Japanese culture.

In Japanese culture, the theme of spring symbolizes the transition between the old and the new, aligning natural rhythms with human life cycles and aesthetic perceptions of the world. This exhibition not only celebrates the beauty of spring but also serves as an exploration of cultural connections and the significance of nature's rhythms both in art and life.