LATVIAN CULTURE PORTAL

Pēteris Martinsons "Treasures"

Ceramics

Ceramics

The contemporary ceramics in Latvia is deeply rooted in the rich folk pottery traditions, particularly the ones developed in Latgale. In 1924 a ceramics master-workshop was opened at the Latvian Academy of Arts. There are many kilns in Latvia where professionals make pottery in accordance with all the canons while letting their creative spirit express itself.

In the 1960s and 1970s it was chic to study ceramic arts at the Academy! With the creative energies of Rūdolfs Pelše, Pēteris Martinsons, Latvīte Medniece, Violeta Jātniece, Izabella Krolle and Ausma Žūriņa, the borders of applied arts seemed to expand. Artists working in ceramics began having a different approach to their material and means of expression. In contrast to their elders, the potters, Skaidrīte Cihovska, Izabella Krolle, Silvija Šmidhena did not worry about the practical usefulness of their vessels and objects of various shapes and forms: they gave their imagination free rein to create something beautiful.
Folk Ceramics

The history of ceramics in Latvia dates back to the emergence of civilization in the territory of the country. The History Museum in Riga has on display ceramic artifacts, found in archaeological sites, which date back to 3,400 BC.

Pottery as a craft in Latvia exists since the 10th century AC, when potter’s wheel was introduced in the region. Throughout centuries, pottery in Latvia developed as a form of folk craft and each region of the country developed its distinctive pottery style with its unique earthenware shapes, colors and ornamentation. Massive, laconic ceramic pots are characteristic for Vidzeme Region; refined monumental jugs are typical for Kurzeme Region, whereas earthenware from Latgale Region - jugs, bowls, vases, chandeliers and clay whistles- are typically baroque, colorful, glazed and shiny.

In the 19th century, along with traditional earthenware dishes, potters started to manufacture also decorative articles – wall plates, flower pots and vases. The first Latvian potter to gain international recognition in this field is Jēkabs Drands, who was awarded the silver medal at the International Art and Household Manufacture Exhibition in Milan in 1906.

During the years of the First Republic of Latvia, folk pottery centers developed around Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale Regions. At the 1937 International Art and Technique Fair in Paris, ceramic artwork by Latvian Polikarps Vilcāns received gold medal and Staņislavs Kaļva gained silver. Polikarps Vilciņš is one of several successful, outstanding ceramic art masters representing Latgale Region’s ceramic tradition, along with Andrejs Paulāns and Polikarps Čerņavskis, who, alike him, mastered their skill at the "Silajāņi" cermic center and several families, pursuing the craft of pottery in three generations – families of Babris, Kaļva, Peipāns, Ušpelis, Vilcāns and Riučis.

Year 1940 came with introduction of the soviet occupation regime, which destroyed folk ceramic traditions in Latvia, they revived only in the second half of 1960’s, when a number of ceramic artists from Latgale Region gained success at the USSR Exhibit of the Achievements of the People's Economy in Moscow and later, also abroad.

In today’s era of modern technologies, folk ceramic as a craft, producing kitchenware and household articles, has lost its functional value, however, it retains its culture historical and symbolic meaning. Among the most remarkable contemporary ceramic artists, who currently follow ancient folk pottery traditions in Latvia, in Vidzeme Region, are Ingrīda Žagata, Arnis Preiss, Baiba Dumpis and Einārs Dumpis. Some of the outstanding modern ceramists from Latgale Region are Voldemārs and Olga Voguls, Ēvalds Vasiļevskis and his students Staņislavs Viļums, Ilmārs Vecelis and Aivars Ušpelis, Antons and Pēteris Ušpelis, Anita Bernāne, Janīna Gribuste, Pēteris Gailums, Juris Krompāns, Vladislavs and Edvīns Vincēvičs, Staņislavs Viļums, Jolanta and Valdis Dundenieks, Ilona Sauša, Mairita Folkmane and there are yet many others.

Art ceramics

The development of decorative arts and design in the 20th century was strongly influenced by ideas, promoted by the “Art and Craft” movement, regarding the role of folk crafts in art. These ideas encouraged the development of decorative arts in Art Nouveau style and changed the role of ceramics in the overall context of arts, starting to regard it as equally significant as the fine art.

Between the 19th and the 20th century, representatives of the national romanticism movement were trying to establish closer ties with folk craftsmen. Potter from Vidzeme Region, Jēkabs Dranda, focused his work on adornments of earthenware pots, which allowed him to win a silver medal at Milan Fair. Dranda became a living connection that helped to bring together ancient folk pottery traditions with newly emerged interest about art ceramic. Ansis Cīrulis was one of the craftsmen that Jēkabs Dranda later taught.

In the wake of the 1st World War and after Latvia was established as an independent country in 1918, the question about the need for professional arts education was raised. In 1924, Rūdolfs Pelše’s ceramics workshop was open at the Latvian Art Academy, which, encouraged by the national romanticism movement, searched for ways, how to create nationalistic and modern art. The priority of Rūdolfs Pelše’s ceramics workshop was acquiring knowledge about ceramics’ technologies, which created new opportunities for means of artistic expression through ceramics. The workshop was the platform, from where a number of remarkable ceramists started their work, which strongly contributed to the development of ceramic art in Latvia – Milda Kalniņa Brutāne, Georgs Kruglovs, Pēteris Kļaviņš, Arvīds Dzērvīte, Andrejs Pormalis, Vilis Vasariņš and others.

The 2nd World War and the years that followed halted arts development for a longer period of time. Only in 1960’s, when Stalins’ repressions were stopped, also ceramic art revived. Pseudo-national tendencies gradually lost their topicality and applied arts started to let go of all excessive adornments. The works, started on improving ceramics technologies, were resumed. Typical for ceramic art at this time is to search for artistic expressiveness, achieved by using natural materials, ascetic lines and patterns, through clarity of the shapes.

In the 60’s, regular exhibitions resumed in Latvia and an experimental ceramics workshop was opened in Ķīpsala. For many years, ceramists, which mastered their skills in Ķīpsala - Silvija Šmidkena, Leons Lukšo, Izabella Krolle, Kornēlija Ozoliņa and Māris Ozoliņš, Skaidrīte Cihovska, Violeta Jātniece, Dainis Krastiņš, Valdis de Būrs, Māra Linkaite, Mirdza Dreimane, Dzintra Indriksone, Latvīte Medniece, Rita Einberga, Pēteris Martinsons, Daina Gailīte, Inese Āboliņa - had a leading role in Latvia’s art life.

In 1977, Latvia saw emergence of its second important ceramic creative association, “Logs” (“Window”), the most remarkable representatives of which were Eduards Detlavs, Kārlis Knopkens, Elza Zariņa, Ilona Kudriņicka, Anita Mīllbreta, Orests Misjko, Dace Pētersone, Levons Agadžanjans, Malda and Imants Sproģi, Andrejs Ķiģelis, Maruta Zeberiņa, Inta Lindemane, Solvita Zāle. They were later joined by Aija Liskupa, Gundega Ozola, Ineta Greiža, Maira Karstā, Vita Valdmanae, Inese Margēviča, Juta Rindina and Āris Segliņš.

At this time, ceramic art increasingly more distances from the functionalist beginnings of earthenware manufacture in Latvia and rather became means or artistic expression, featuring complex images. Garden ceramics, interior and exterior architecture elements and compositions, unique earthenware articles, medals, porcelain painting, functional ceramics design are the sectors, on which ceramists focus in the 70s and 80s. The decades between 1960s and 1980s can be called the boom time for ceramics in Latvia.

However, at this time, the Latvian artists are working behind the "iron curtain". Latvian artists are banned from visiting ceramists’ events abroad. Pēteris Martinsons, the brightest and most remarkable personality in Latvian ceramics, leads USSR ceramists’ symposia at the creative house in Dzintari. It is the only option, how to brake through to participation in international ceramics exhibitions abroad and the gold medals, gained by Martinsons in 1972, 1975, 1976 and 1977 are at last reason enough to demand the Communist Party’s Central Committee to issue a permit for a creative trip abroad and indeed that is the first time, when such a permit is received. Most of Latvia’s ceramists can consider themselves to be students of Pēteris Martinsons. Thanks to Pēteris Martinsons’ international authority, Latvian ceramists were offered the opportunity to organize the International Academy of Ceramics Baltic States Congress with its hub in Riga in summer 2006.

Over the last ten years, the International Art Symposiums, organized by the Artists Union of Latvia and the Latvian Art Academy, have played an increasingly large role in the development of ceramics in Latvia, the events they organize, include Zvārtava Ceramics and Art teachers’ symposia, exhibitions dedicated to the International Academy of Ceramics Congress, Clay Jiggering festival, as well as construction and putting into use of high temperature kilns in Ikšķile and in Salacgrīva and organizing numerous ceramics’ artists’ exhibitions in the museums and art galleries in Riga.

Currently, Latvian artists dealing with large scale ceramics, are Dainis Pundurs, Dainis Lesiņš, Una Mjurka (lives and works in the U.S.). Plastics play an important rols in the works by ceramists Juta Rindina, Vita Valdmane, Oresta Misjko, Inese Mergēviča and Ineta Greiža. Other highly acclaimed artists of the craft are Mārīte Laiviņa, Anita Milbreta, Sarmīte Munde, Silvija Šmidhena, Inese Brants, Līga Skariņa, Ingūna Skuja. Latvian ceramists’ family has recently been joined by youngm talanted ceramists with their special artistic character -Arnis Pelšs, Normunds Lanģis, Astra Krūmiņa, Inita Reimandova, Ilze Emse, Gunta Kaniņa, Maira Karstā, Kristīne Lazdāne, Daira Tropa, Sanita Mickus, Aiga Sičeva.

Art porcelain

Porcelain manufacture in Riga was launched in the 19th century. In 1841, Russian large-scale manufacturer Sidor Kuznetsov established the porcelain and chinaware manufacture.

Porcelain art in Latvia has been developing in four direction: everyday use china, the form and ornamentation of which was influenced by the western European influences, manufacture of minor decorative and unique articles with influence of the national style, painting of ready-made china in non-professional artists and some professional artists. The fourth realm of china art are the highest achievement in ceramics art in Latvia.

In 1924 Romāns Suta, Aleksandra Beļcova and Sigismunds Vidbergs establish porcelain painting workshop “Baltars”, operating in national constructive style, strongly influencing all the Latvian applied arts development. At the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts, the “Baltars” china paintings were appreciated also by the director of the Riga City Art Museum VIlhelms Purvītis, who then acquired numerous works by Romāns Suta, Aleksandra Beļcova and Sigismunds Vidbergs for the museum.

After the 2nd World War, the “Kuznetsov” and “Jessen” porcelain factories are merged and renamed “Riga Porcelain Factory”. In 1953, Zina Ulste starts working for the Riga Pocelain Factory and she becomes creator of the Riga porcelain design and ornamental style.

However, artists’ own initiatives are not supported and art porcelain is rarely seen in exhibition. The bureaucratic procedures for receiving permits to distribute artists’ creative work articles, are long and often, too complicated, often the permits are eventually denied. Pēteris Martinsons creates his artwork at the Poltava porcelain factory. In the beginning of 90’s, a favorable conditions for the artists are in Lithuania, at the Kaunas Porcelain manufacture “Jesia”, where they are regularly invited to participate at the porcelain symposia “Idea”.

Over the decade, Latvian artists, who come to participate, are Inese Brants, Ilona Romule, Pēteris Martinsons, Sanita Ozola, Jānis Ronis, Juris Bergins, Inese Margēviča, Andris Vēzis, Āris Segliņš and others.

In 1997, Riga Porcelain Manufacture bankrupts and stops operating. On the basis of the remaining articles, the Riga Porcelain Museum is open at the basement of the Convent .. in Riga, the museum becomes an active hub, supporting and promoting crockery and porcelain art. The museum regularly hosts various contemporary porcelain art exhibitions and a porcelain painting workshop. The museum has also organized thematic “Porcelain afternoons”, in which Pēteris Martinsons, Inese Brants and Ilona Rumule have read lectures about art porcelain in Latvia and world-wide.

Currently, the most active Latvian porcelain artists and members of the International Ceramics Academy, are Ilona Romule and Pēteris Martinsons, as well as Inese Brants, Maruta Raude, Valda Podkalne, Andris Vēzis, Ženija Loginova, Āris Segliņš, Žanete Žvīgure, Ilze Emse, Dainis Pundurs, Dace Blūma, Jānis Ronis, Aira Lesiņa, Natālija Laminska, Inese Līne, Vita Valdmane, Ainārs Rimicāns, Sarmīte Munde.

In 1999 a new tradition was started and since then Porcelain painting symposia are held annually at the Zvārtava Palaca, which have made the Zvārtava Porcelain collection. The 10th Porcelain Painting Symposium, which followed the International Ceramics Academy Congress in Riga, was an international hit. 27 artists from 8 countries participated, representing Latvia, France, Turkey, United States, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Estonia and Russia.

"Baltars" porcelain painting influence on contemporary art processes proves its uniqueness and importance in developing international culture liaisons.