On 13th of May, Skuja Braden received the Baltic Award in the Art category at the first Baltic Awards ceremony, held at the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga.
The Baltic Awards were established to recognize outstanding achievements in culture and science across Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, highlighting the region's contribution to the wider European cultural and intellectual landscape. The first awards were presented in four categories: Science, Architecture, Art, and Music, alongside special awards for lifetime achievement.
Ingūna Skuja and Melissa D. Braden were recognized for their distinctive collaborative practice in porcelain, known for its expressive forms, extravagant imagery, and ambitious engagement with social, cultural, and political subjects. Working together since 1999 under the shared identity Skuja Braden, the artists have developed a practice that challenges conventional ideas of authorship while bringing together sculpture, painting, decorative arts, and installation.
The award also recognizes the international presence of their work. In 2022, Skuja Braden represented Latvia at the 59th Venice Biennale with Selling Water by the River, an expansive installation of more than 300 porcelain works presented in the Latvian Pavilion.
The Baltic Award for Art was presented to Skuja Braden by Andris Vītoliņš, Professor at the Art Academy of Latvia. They were nominated alongside artists Raitis and Rasa Šmiti and Amanda Ziemele.
The first Baltic Awards brought together representatives of the cultural, scientific, architectural, and political communities of all three Baltic states, celebrating achievements that contribute to the region's cultural and intellectual life.