Džemma Skulme facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Džemma Skulme
Džemma Skulme receiving the Award of the Cabinet of Ministers in 2009
Born	Džemma Lija Skulme (1925-09-20)20 September 1925 Riga, Latvia
Died	9 November 2019(2019-11-09) (aged 94) Riga, Latvia
Nationality	Latvian
Known for	Painting
Movement	Modernism

Džemma Lija Skulme (born September 20, 1925, died November 9, 2019) was a famous Latvian artist. She was a painter who used a style called modernism. Džemma Skulme was very important in developing art in Latvia. She also played a big part in Latvian society during the second half of the 20th century.

About Džemma Skulme

Džemma Lija Skulme came from a family of artists. Her father, Oto Skulme, was a Latvian painter. Her mother, Marta Liepiņa - Skulme, was Latvia's first woman sculptor.

Džemma's parents and her uncle, Uga Skulme, were part of the Riga Artists Group. This group helped shape art in Latvia during the 1930s.

In 1949, Džemma Skulme finished her studies at the Art Academy of Latvia. She studied pictorial art there. Later, in 1955, she graduated from the Repin Art Institute.

From 1956, she was a member of the Artists’ Union of Latvia. She even led this union from 1982 to 1992. In 1976, she received the special title of People's Artist of the Latvian SSR.

After 1993, she became the president of the Jaunrades Foundation. In 1992, she was made an honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. She also received an honorary doctor degree from the Art Academy of Latvia in 1998.

She was honored for her great work in Latvian culture.

Her Art Style

Džemma Skulme created art using different materials. She worked with oil paints, acrylics, and water-colours.

Starting in the 1970s, she often painted a theme called the caryatid. A caryatid is a sculpted female figure used as a column. In her paintings, she wanted to show the inner strength of women. Examples include The Women of Nica (1968) and Caryatid (1979).

She also painted themes about riflemen and Latvian folk art. In the late 1960s, her paintings became more dramatic. She used large brushes or even a palette knife to apply paint. This made her work more expressive.

In paintings like Marta in Mask (1973) and Dialogue (1975), she showed strong and lively characters. In the mid-1950s, she also became known for illustrating books and magazines.

During the 1960s, Džemma started mixing acrylic and oil paints. This created interesting textures in her art. Her paintings from this time became more thoughtful. In her later years, she used a simple, child-like style. This helped her create bright and skillful artworks.

She also worked as an assistant decorator. She helped at the Daile Theatre and the Latvia Puppet Theatre from 1945 to 1947.

Laima Slava, an art historian, noted something special about Džemma's work in the 1960s. She said that the lines in Džemma's art changed. At first, they were smooth and clear, defining shapes. Later, they became lighter and more see-through.

Famous Works

• Summer, 1959, Latvian National Museum of Art
• Folk Song, 1969, Latvian National Museum of Art
• Macedonia motif, 1974, Latvian National Museum of Art

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Džemma Skulme started having her own art shows in 1949. She had exhibitions in many cities:

• Riga (1968, 1985, 1992, 1994, 1995)
• Moscow (1969, 1984)
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Milan, Italy (1971)
• Vilnius (1976)
• Kale, France
• Fredrikstadt, Norway (1994, 1995)
• Cesis (1996)
• Kiev, Ukraine (1997)
• West Berlin (1981, for a family exhibition)
• Pittsburgh, USA (1986)
• Bergamo, Italy (1987)
• Riga (1998 – 1999)

Family Exhibitions

She also organized art shows with her family members. These were held in:

• West Berlin (1981)
• Pittsburgh, USA (1986)
• Bergamo, Italy (1987)
• Riga (1998-1999)

Group Exhibitions

Her art was also shown in group exhibitions with other artists. Some of these were in:

• New York (1989)
• Munich
• Bonn
• Pittsburgh, USA (1993, in an exhibition called ‘’Women Between Times: New Nations; New Art’’)

Where to See Her Works

You can find Džemma Skulme's paintings in several museums:

• Latvian National Museum of Art
• Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in the USA
• Tretyakov Gallery in Russia

Her art is also held in private collections. These include collections owned by the president of Russia and the Queen of Denmark.

Film About the Artist

In 1986, a documentary film called "Džemma" was made about her. The film was created at the Riga Film Studio. Its director was Laima Žurgina.