SUMMER
Violeta Jātniece (Latvia)
Born in Rīga in 1939, Violeta Jātniece first discovered clay not in a studio, but in the wilds of childhood summers. In the coastal village of Tūja, her playground was the clay pit near a local brick kiln, where young Violeta had her first hands-on experience with the material and her first taste of a workshop setting. These early encounters laid the foundations for a lifelong dialogue with the material.
The budding artist trained at the Rīga Secondary School of Applied Arts, graduating in 1957, and went on to study ceramics at the Art Academy of Latvia, graduating in 1964. In 1967, she joined the emerging collective of ceramic artists known as the Ķīpsala Group – a dynamic co-operative that would go on to shape the course of Latvian ceramics. Two years later, following her admission into the Latvian Artists’ Union, she began working at the now-legendary Ķīpsala ceramics studios.
Jātniece’s prolific career includes several solo exhibitions in Latvia and numerous group shows domestically and abroad – in Poland, France, Italy, Germany, Czechia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden, and the United States. She garnered particular attention for her large-scale garden ceramics and notable appearances in major international competitions and exhibitions at prestigious venues, including Faenza (1979), Westerwald (1984), and a joint showing with Pēteris Martinsons at the University Museum of Arizona in 1991.
“My inspiration lies in the rhythms and textures of nature – steep landfalls, furrowed fields, or windswept patterns on a sandy shore, their perfect silhouettes and colour schemes. I also draw from architectural constructions, their strong proportions and intrinsic harmony,” she has said.
Jātniece’s work radiates energy and intensity: it speaks of temperament, vivacity, and spirit, qualities that make “Summer” a fitting title for this exhibition. In her clean, confident forms and richly textured surfaces finished in tones of orange, red, and sun-warmed earth, one senses an enduring feminine energy and vitality.
The exhibition presents a curated selection of Jātniece’s works from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art.
The exhibition is on view at the Rothko Museum’s Martinsons House from 30 May to 24 August 2025.
Publicity image: Violeta Jātniece. “Bottles”. Chamotte, glaze. 1990.
