Safe Horizons
At the beginning of 2023, an ambitious exhibition of contemporary ceramics from the Baltic States "Safe Horizons" was on view in South Korea. In the exhibition at the Kyongido Museum of Ceramic Design, the works of seventy-five artists from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are displayed on an area of seven hundred square meters, touching on current problems in the world through the medium of ceramics. With the support of the Baltic Culture Foundation and the embassies of the Baltic countries, the project is implemented by the Latvian Contemporary Ceramics Center in cooperation with the Korean Ceramics Foundation, the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center, the Lithuanian Artists' Union and the Estonian Ceramics Association.
The ambitious exhibition of Baltic contemporary ceramics in South Korea is a unique cultural event that contributed to the cultural cooperation of the three Baltic countries and their international recognition. The broader goal of the initiative was to further develop the contemporary ceramics industry in the Baltics, implementing cooperation between artists, curators and institutions in the Baltic States and Korea, while building common foundations for further cooperation in art, culture and other fields.
The exhibition at the Gyeongido Museum of Ceramic Design was open until February 19, 2023.
Lecture on porcelain production in Riga
On Friday, September 23, Iliana Veinberga, art historian, researcher of design history and director of the Riga Porcelain Museum, visited the ceramics department of RDMV with a wonderful lecture about porcelain production in Riga. Thanks to students and teachers, interested parties who found time for the lecture, their interest and the lecturer's professionalism. Really appreciate it!
There was also an opportunity to get acquainted with the books that tell about the porcelain factory, its artists, to hold ancient Kuznetsov porcelain and dishes produced in the factory in the 60s.
Now the task for the 3rd and 4th year - their offer for decals for the dishes produced in the factory,
The event is implemented by the Latvian Ceramics Association with the support of VKKF.
"Latvian ceramic heritage - workshop "Baltars"
Latvian Ceramics Association, with the support of VKKF, implements an educational program in ceramics, which includes both lectures open to the general public and practical classes in creative workshops for school students.
On Thursday, October 20, in the new building of LMMDV, an open lecture was held for all interested parties "Latvian ceramic heritage - workshop "Baltars"". The lecture included information about "Baltar", the artists who created the workshop, the importance of "Baltar" in our culture. Lecturer Inese Pētersone, LKA.
In order to make the educational event at the Liepāja Music, Art and Design High School about the "Baltara" workshop more complete and visible, the lecture was supplemented by an already opened exhibition - porcelain paintings by students of the ceramics department of the Riga Design and Art High School - copies of plates from the "Baltara" workshop.
The exhibition is located in the lobby of the new building - every visitor is welcomed by the works displayed in the showcases. Thanks to RDMV for the opportunity to hold such an exhibition and LMMDV for the exposure!
In conclusion, 21.10. - the creative workshop, which was also a master class of Dace Blumas (LKA), ceramist, main artist and technologist of "Dekolservis", excellent porcelain painter, on the use of decals in decorating porcelain dishes. Thematically, the master class is related to the theme of "Baltara" - the students created their own compositions for plate painting, influenced by the works of "Baltara" artists.
Thank you to everyone who participated, helped and organized, thank you for supporting VKKF.
Especially - to the ceramics department of PIKC LMMDV and its head Vineta Trumpeniec. A wonderful school with a clear vision of the future, a confidently working ceramics department, which has finally returned to Alejas Street to stay together with other school departments.
Meeting of members and potential members of the Latvian Ceramics Association in the Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia
18.08. We opened the ceramic exhibition "Runa ar mani!" in the Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw.
The work of all twenty authors can be viewed in front of the Palm House in Riga. Good works, wonderful place and atmosphere.
However, this was only one of the reasons for the meeting. It was also an opportunity for any ceramist to learn more about us, find out how to join the association, what are the future plans of LKA, and what has already been done.
The meeting was very successful. I had not seen so many smiling and happy people together for a long time! And it looks like the association has gained several new members!
Photo of LKA members
Ceramics in the Mark Rothko Art Center
August is a real month of ceramic triumph at the Mark Rothko Art Center!
Opening of the final exhibition of the international ceramics symposium CERAMIC LABORATORY 2022, exhibition of contemporary Polish ceramics in the courtyard of the Rothko Center, audiovisual performance by Delia Maxim (RO) and Joszef Izslai (HU), opening of the fire sculpture of Elina Titane in the courtyard of the Martinson House, visit to the Rothko Center exhibitions and the Martinson House: "Found in the collection". The permanent exhibition of the Rothko Center's collection, "There is a gentle night" - the art of Kan Haitao (China), the exhibition "Welcome to my garden of love" by Rūda Pētersons. Exhibition from the RC collection in Martinson's house - "City of Dreams". Peter Martinson. Permanent exhibition of the Martinson House, lecture program on various ceramic topics.
These events were organized by Valentīns Petjko and Aivars Baranovskis, Latvian Center for Contemporary Ceramics, LKA
We are glad that we could be both spectators and participants.
Meeting of ceramicists in Vaidava
The destination of the June 10 ceramicists' trip is Vaidava Ceramics, the largest ceramic company in Latvia, known to a wide circle of fans even far from Latvia, both in Europe and Asia.
Mick Balodis very exhaustively and emotionally told us about the company's history, development, changes that have taken place over time and future plans. It gave a completely new idea of the company's work, the purposefulness with which it works. Thank you for the tour of the production facility, thank you to everyone who allowed us to watch Vaidava's elegant tableware being made!
We also had the opportunity to see the exhibition - the dishes turned by Vaidava ceramics workers and Sanita Mickus .
On the way, we stopped in Sigulda, where we got to know the renovated palace, where the fireplace designed by Viļas Vasariņas can now be seen in all its glory, and the open-air ceramic exhibition "Talk to me!" in the palace garden.
Talk to me
From November 8 to December 31, 2021, the Latvian Ceramics Association's exhibition "Talk to me!"
Ceramics has always been a tactile art. It has been a way in which the artist both speaks to the world around him and carries out a work of self-reflection. When still soft clay is touched, it comes to life in the hands of the potter and begins to talk to and about its author, and many things can be discussed - both rough, rugged textures and gently flat surfaces are formed. The ability of the material to capture emotions, patience, anxiety, order, expression, caresses and impressions of the moment is inexhaustible.
Exhibition "Talk to me!" is a conversation between ceramic artists and the viewer who sees the exhibition in a tactile way. They are the stories of the artists' experiences, left in the textures - rough, rough or, on the contrary, gently smoothed glazed surfaces. The works of the exhibition are the fixations of these conversations in the ceramic material, which now goes towards the conversation with anyone who is ready to touch it.
20 Latvian ceramicists take part in the exhibition: Ilona Abdulajeva, Sanita Abelīte, Aivars Baranovskis, Nellija Dzalba, Ilze Emse Grīnberga, Kaspars Geiduks, Katrīna Geidukas, Una Gura, Ieva Jurka, Lauris Krauze, Olga Melehina, Eleonora Pastare, Rūdis Pētersons, Ilona Romule, Līga Skariņa, Agnese Sunepa, Astra Šenberga, Elīna Titāne, Lilija Zeiļa.
The exhibition is organized by the Latvian Ceramics Association in cooperation with the Latvian Center for Contemporary Ceramics and the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center. The project was created with the support of the State Cultural Capital Fund and the Ministry of Culture in the target program "KultūrELPA".
In the summer of 2021, the exhibition "Meeting" organized by the Latvian Ceramics Association was held in Sigulda Devon.
This time, Sigulda was a meeting and communication place to show the wide possibilities of ceramics and create an image of a unified picture of Latvian ceramics. Ceramicists, designers, artists, students who use ceramic materials as a means of expressing their creativity meet in "Devon".
The exhibition gave an idea of the versatility of Latvian ceramics.
The exhibition was attended by internationally known artists as well as students, for whom this is the first exhibition and an opportunity to show their works.
"Meeting" as proof that our ceramic traditions are deep and thorough, that Latvian ceramics has a stable, professional present and a convincing future perspective.
Photographer Didzis Grodzs
IEVAS JURKAS Ceramics workshop opening celebration
On August 28, 2020, Latvian ceramist, graduate of the Latvian Academy of Arts - Ieva Jurka celebrated the opening of her workshop. The workshop opened with clay-making classes, a fire sculpture burning, a concert and an opportunity to view and purchase her work.
Ieva creates wonderful dishes and porcelain ornaments, which are already widely known in Latvian society. In recent years, the artist has also participated in several symposia and kiln firings, created several interesting fire sculptures and exhibited her works in several exhibitions.
See more about Eve's path
Pictures from the opening ceremony can be seen below.
VIII International Ceramic Art Symposium /
Ceramic Art Symposium CERAMICS LABORATORY
The eighth ceramic symposium was successfully held in Daugavpils.
The exhibition can be viewed until October 25, 2020.
For two weeks, the ceramic artists of the Baltic States had united in a joint symposium, where everyone interpreted the palette of possibilities of the material in their own way. Freed from daily work, the hustle and bustle of the big city or rural duties, the artists could surrender to the inspiration provided by the fortress walls of Daugavpils, the scenic curves of the Daugava, the cultural environment of Latgale and being together in this very special time.
The works displayed in the exhibition are fixations of artists' professionalism, sensuality and ideas, which document the contemporary art scene and allow us to look back to the year 2020 as the time when, despite everything, the 8th International Ceramic Art Symposium KERAMIKAS LABORATORIJA took place.
Symposium participants: Haralds Jegodzienskis (Latvia), Monika Gedrimaite (Lithuania), Agne Šemberaite (Lithuania), Olga Melehina (Latvia), Rūdis Pētersons (Latvia), Agnese Sunepa (Latvia), Ieva Jurka (Latvia), Laura Pelda (Estonia) , Lauri Kilusks (Estonia), Una Gura (Latvia), Lilija Zeiļa (Latvia), Eleonora Pastare (Latvia), Ilona Abdulajeva (Latvia), Nellija Dzalba (Latvia).
Latvian contemporary ceramics
On the third of October, the exhibition organized by the Latvian Ceramics Association was opened under the name "Latvian contemporary ceramics". Various ceramic artists, designers, potters and craftsmen took part in this exhibition, which perfectly represented the common and diverse aspects of Latvian ceramics today.
The exhibition was on display at the Transylvanian History Museum in Cluj (Romania) until October 27 as part of the Cluj Ceramics Biennale.
Valuable conversations
On October 8, RDMV held very interesting and valuable talks about ceramics in various aspects - production, education, the work of a designer-ceramist, successes, the most important problems and how to solve them, possible forms of cooperation, perspective.
Many thanks to the lecturers Mika Balodis (Vaidava Ceramics), Guna Džeriņa (Guntve Daiļrade), Daina Pechata (Ornandum), Elīna Eidmane (Latvijas pärles), Laima Grigona (Laima ceramics), Dace Bluma (LDS), Sandra Peča (Vaiva Ceramics), Katrina Kalniņa (Katrina ceramics), Rihards Funts (MAD).
Thanks also to the hundred interested listeners - RDMV students and teachers, LMA students and ceramicists, both young and those whose names are already known not only in Latvia, but also in other countries of the world, designers and artists, those who are really interested in ceramics.
The event was organized by the ceramics department of RDMV, the Latvian Designers' Union and the Latvian Ceramics Association.
