Romans Suta

Sketch. 1930's, watercolour, pencil on paper, 42x27 cm

Romans Suta Born on April 28, 1896 in the vicinity of Cesis (Latvia), died on July 14, 1944 in Tbilisi (Georgia), rehabilitated posthumously. Painter, graphic artist, decorative and stage designer, art critic and theoretician. Studied at the J. Madernieks Art Studio (1913), Riga City Art School (1913-1915), and Penza Art School (1915 -1917). A prominent figure and active protagonist of modernist trends in Latvian art. Travels to Berlin and Paris, where he made the acquaintance of A. Ozanfant, Le Corbusier, and others. The influences of Cubism and Constructivism. A member of the Riga Artists' Group (1920-1924) and the Riga Graphic Artists' Society. Painter of still lifes and figural compositions. After the first experiments in Modernism, he turned to a more realistic manner of representation. The initiator and developer of a national constructive style, especially in interior design; the founder of Baltars creative workshop for porcelain painting (1924-1928); a designer and painter at Kuznetsov's Porcelain Works and the Glass-Blowing Factory in Ilguciems (Latvia); Head of the Drawing and Painting studio at the public high school (1929-1934) and had his own private art studio (1934-1940). From 1939, he was engaged in film production at the Riga Film studio as the Chief Designer (films "Kauguriesi", "Melancholic Waltz"). References: T. Suta. Romans Suta. Riga, 197??; T. Suta. Romans Suta. Riga, 1995; Latvian Fine Arts in 1860 - 1940. Riga, 1986; J. Silins. Latvian Art in 1915 - 1940, I. Stockholm, 1988; Unerwartete Begegnung: