Ilmārs Blumbergs

1943 - 2016

He received his professional education in the Decorative Art Deparment of Riga Applied Art school. (1963) and the Painting Department of the Latvian Art Academy, specializing in stage design (1972).   In 1969 he started to work as a stage designer of the Riga Art theatre. From 1976 to 1985 he was the theater’s head artist. He also did stage design for other theatres of Latvia, Lithuania, Finland. He introduced a new associative image of the world in stage design , Brandt (1975), Peer Gynt (1979) Jazeps and His Brothers (1981), Aida (1998) and others. He also created painterly vivid associative posters for his theatre performances. Later he also  turned to print art (lithography, etching, screen printing). In 1970 he began to participate in exhibitions. He participated in several Prague International Scenography Quadrennials and International Poster exhibitions in Lahti, Warsaw, Toyama, print exhibitions in Bredford, Shamaljier and others. Of a great significance was his contribution to the Latvian  Stage Design shows in Berlin (1978), Helsinki(1983), Budapest (1985), as well as in the exhibition of Latvian print art in Cardiff (1987), the show „Riga – Latvian Avantgarde ‘’ in Berlin (1988) and others. He had numerous solo shows as well. His awards include the premium in the Baltic Republics Poster Triennial  in Tallinn (1976), the Baltic Republics Stage Design Triennial in Vilnius (1977) and Tallinn (1980), Grand Prix in the Baltic Republics Miniature graphics Triennial in Riga (1988), a diploma and the Volvik City premium at the Small- size prints in the World Triennial in Shamaljier (1988), the Baltic Assembly award (2001), the Main Award of the Latvian Artists’ Union (2005), Dante Aligjeri award (2008) and others. He was an Honorary member of the Latvian Science Academy (2002), recipient of the Three-star Order (1995). His artworks can be found in the collections of the Latvian National Art museum and the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, many private collections in Latvia and abroad.