2nd career artist-craftsman returns to the passion of his youth celebrating his heritage.
I am Latvian, and I have always been proud of my culture. I began learning traditional Latvian metalry from Olģerts Kutcers, Kļaviņu Juris and others about four decades ago, and my primary focus has always been objects of adornment of the East Baltic Iron Ages. I have been able to set up a full workshop with the intention of offering my work to a broader public only now after the passing Beyond the Sun of my friend, teacher, and fellow craftsman, Pariņu Saša, who bequeathed me his tools. Thanks to fellow artist, teacher and metalsmith Spuru Lilita for her decades long friendship and support, to Guntis Zemītis, director of the History Institute of the University of Latvia, under whose supervision I had the honor of helping to excavate the Daugmale hillfort, and to the late Āris Alsiņš, founder of Senās Vides Darbnīcas (Ancient Environment Workshops) and my team leader in the metals restoration laboratory of the Latvian National History Museum (LNVM). Thanks also to my generous colleagues: Grencionu Kārlis, Daumants Kalniņš, Andris Grebis, Vitauts Straupe, Ieva Ozola-Barrett, Uģis Drava, Māris Braže, Michael Schwartz and Jānis Mikāns, archaeologists Arnis Radiņš, Irita Žeiere, Artūrs Tomsons, Jānis Ciglis, Ritvars Ritums, Ilze Loze and all the staff at the archaeology collections of the LNVM, and authors Anete Karlsone, Anna Zariņa, Roberts Spirģis, Ieva Pīgozne, Lilija Balgalve-Treimane, Agris Liepiņš, Vladislavs Urtāns and many more, and most of all to my patient and loving family: Daiga, Zinta, Guntis, Ilga, and Inta!
