Farewell to the artist will take place on April 2 in the Great Hall of the Riga Crematorium at 12:00 p.m., Varoņu Street 3A, Riga.
Indulis Urbāns was born into a family of artists, his father Olģerts Urbāns was a painter and his mother Marta Urbānes – a graphic artist (RLMV teacher), while the artist’s brothers – interior designer Aivars Urbāns and Uldis Urbāns – oboist, artist of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.
From 1955, Indulis Urbāns studied at the 6th secondary school of Riga and from 1959 he continued his studies at the Janis Rozentāls Riga Art School (JRRMV, tag. MIKC NMV Janis Rozentāls Mākslas skola). JRRMV educators at that time were: directors – graphic artist Kārlis Bušs (1912–1987; JRRMV director 1948–1962) and Elza Stalaža (JRRMV director 1961–1973), painters Ansis Stunda (1892–1976; JRRMV pedagogue from 1946), Arnolds Griķis (1908 –1988; JRRMV pedagogue from 1946), Harijs Blunavs (1924–2006; JRRMV pedagogue 1957–1991), Ivars Andris Vijups (1934–2006; JRRMV pedagogue 1961–2005, director 1994–1996), Indulis Zariņš (1929–1997; JRRMV pedagogue 1958–1962) etc
From 1963, Indulis Urbāns continued his education at the Metal Art Processing Department of Riga Applied Arts High School (RLMV, tag. MIKC Riga Design and Art High School Metal Products Design Education Program). RLMV pedagogues at that time were: meta-artists Raimonds Kazmers, Jānis Porietis, architect Ivars Bumbiers (1932–2020; RLMV composition pedagogue 1966–1970), architect, textile artist Georgs Barkāns (1925–2010; RLMV composition pedagogue 1961–1986), architect, ceramist Pēteris Martinsons (1931–2013; RLMV composition teacher 1962–1971), painter Vitalijs Karkunovs (1925–2006; RLMV drawing teacher 1954–2005), graphic artist, leather artist Āriks Priedkalns (1928–2006; RLMV lettering teacher 1961–1978), painters Eduards Jurķelis (1910–1978; RLMV pedagogue 1945–?), Andrejs Rozenbergs (1937–2017; RLMV pedagogue 1961–1969) etc.
Indulis Urbans “Pin from the cycle “White flowers””
Photo: LMS Museum
Indulis Urbāns graduated from RLMV Metal Artistic Processing Department in 1968 with a diploma thesis “Seasons” in steel material, supervisor Pēteris Martinsons. After graduating from the RLMV, Indulis Urbāns started working in the “Māksla” metal art department of the LPSR Art Fund combine (Gaujas iela 5, Riga), where important metal artists worked: Jānis Zibens (1909–1967), Džems Bodnieks (1910–1987), Haims Risins (1911– 1998), Arnolds Naika (1908–1991), Raimonds Rinkevičs, Jānis Martinsons, Siegfrieds Rosenbergs, Ināra Gulbe (1935–1998), Vilnis Zibens (1934–2010). While working at the combine “Māksla”, Indulis Urbans focused on the art of jewelry.
After compulsory service in the Armed Forces of the USSR in 1970, the artist worked as the head of the drawing studio under In the Culture House “Elektra” (Kr. Barona iela 130, Riga). Also later, Indulis Urbāns worked for many years in the “Art” combine of the LPSR Art Foundation (MF) (1971–1993), was appointed to the MF art council (1979) and to the commission for the qualifications and quality of artists of the MF Applied Art Combine (1982), which was headed by a textile artist, LMS board secretary Egils Rosenbergs. From 1974, the works created by Indulis Urbanas were included in USSR Applied Art publicity exhibitions abroad: in Germany (FRG, GDR), Austria, Greece, Belgium.
In 1997, Indulis Urbāns created his own creative workshop – a salon in Riga (I.Urbāns salons), which was opened with an exhibition of the artist’s jewelry and fur coats modeled by A.Ulmanis. Currently, it exists as a limited liability company “Urban creative metal art workshop-salon”.
Indulis Urbāns designed the restored cup for the “Baltic Cup in football” tournament (1991), participated in the creation of the Jūrmala Museum exposition “History of Riga Jūrmala and Ķemeru resorts” (2008) together with the author of the concept, historian Inga Sarma, the main custodian of the collection Ines Helvig and creative design workshops – “Dd laboratory”, “Dd studio”, “H2E”, Jūrmala technical creativity, sports and leisure center, restaurateurs Ugi Balli, Ieva Balli, Vita Bogani, Iveta Priedi, Kristini Riekstinu, etc. in the group together with Valdis Celmas, Eduards Milaš – informative street signs “Varšavas iela”, Riga (industrial metal casting, titanium coating, enamel, light source, 2003), informative urban signs dedicated to the memory of the “Battle of the Sun” in Bauska (idea: historians Olģerts Tālivaldis Aries (1923–2010), Muntis Aries, industrial metal casting, titanium coating, enamel, solar cell light source, 2006) etc.
Indulis Urban participated in exhibitions from 1970 and from 1978 he focused on enamel art. The artist held personal exhibitions: “Indulis Urbāns. Jewelry” (former Republican House of Knowledge, 1977, MF booklet, compiled by Karina Kropa), “Indulis Urban. Jewelry exhibition” (Bauska Regional History Museum, 1979, MF booklet compiled by Karina Kropa), “Metal. Enamel. Form” (former Museum of Applied Arts, DMDM, 1991), Coburg (Germany, 1989), solo exhibitions “Erotics” (Riga, 1998), “Time of the Wind Brothers” (Jūrmala Museum, 2000), “Time in life, space, eternity. Metal, enamel” (Jūrmala Museum, 2008), “Dulla Urban’s Reflections on Life” (Jūrmala Museum, 2022) etc.
Indulis Urbāns also created small group exhibitions: together with metal artists Juri Gagaini-Kagaini (1944–2017) and Gundar Pekeli (1948–1994) in Budapest (Hungary, 1982), “Jānis Mikāns and Indulīs Urbāns exhibition” (MF Exhibition hall “Tēlnieku nams “, 1986, directed by Vilnis Titāns (1944–2006)), “Environment. Form. Individual” (with E.Justovič, Andri Smilga, Uldi Sokolovski, “I.Urbāna salons”, 1998), “Time made in Latvia” ( together with designer Eduardus Milaš, “I.Urbāna salons”, 1999), “Time” (with painter Ilona Gonsovska, Jūrmala Museum, 2008), with Eduardus Milaš at Staicele Music and Art School (2010). The works of Induļs Urbānas were included in the exhibition “Latvijas metālmālsā” (Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, 1997, idea: Dina Dubiņa, curator Lilita Jēkabsone, 33 authors with 120 works participated.
The artist actively participated in international exhibitions and symposia, important exhibitions: the exhibition of young artists of the USSR “Earth’s Youth” (Moscow, Russia, 1976, USSR KM Honorary Certificate), the All-Union Enamel Art Exhibition in Riga (1987), the International Biennale of Enamel Art (Limoges, France, 1984–1992), quadrennial (Coburg, Germany, 1991, 1995), International Exhibition of Enamel Art in Corvington (Ohio, USA, 1989), exhibitions in Vilaseca (Spain, 1989), La Coruña (Spain, 1990), Silkeborg (Denmark, 1991) , in Moscow (Russia, 1993), Latvian and Danish decorative and applied art exhibition in Copenhagen (Denmark, 1992). The artist participated in enamel art symposia in Kecskemet (Hungary, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1996), Sochi (1986), Newport (Ohio, USA, 1993), Chios (Greece, 2008). Indulis Urbāns together with Aivars Riekstinas, Dina Dubiņas and 30 colleagues from Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Lithuania participated in the current VIII International Enamel Biennale “Vilnius 2020” and its exhibition “Klaipeda Gallery” (2021).
In 2014, an installation was created in the territory of the Sigulda Palace complex during the Sigulda XXII Opera Music Festival, which was created as part of the International Enamel Art Symposium, and the authors of the installation were Indulis Urbāns, Andris Smilga, Aivars Riekstiņš, Dina Dubiņa and Aldis Kaugars, Nikolajs Kuzmičs and Petro Kuzmičs (Belarus ), Natalija Pilisides (Greece), Evgeniuš Molsky and Margaret Mizia (Poland), Marita Donelaite, Imantas Ludavičius (Lithuania).
Indulis Urbāns popularized enamel and other metal art techniques and was the leader of the All-Union Annual Enamel Art Symposium at the House of Creativity of the USSR (Palanga, Lithuania, 1981–1990). In total, ten symposia were organized, including the last two with the participation of German, English, French, American, Danish and Spanish artists.
From 1990-1993 “International Art Symposium. Dzintari. Latvia”, organized by LMS Art Creation House, Jūrmala, Dzintari. Indulis Urbāns led a group of metal artists who painted the products of the company “Darba Spars” in the enamel technique, as well as performed a performance with open-air firing and exposure of the works. Later in 1996 and 1997, the artist organized and participated in the traveling exhibition of Baltic enamel artists in Coburg (Germany), Silkeborg (Denmark), Gothenburg (Sweden).
Indulis Urbāns was a member of the LMS Young Artists Association from 1972. The artist was a member of the LMS since 1975 and was admitted with the recommendations of the jewelry artist Georg Romulas (1928–2015), the painter Demma Skulma (1925–2019), the metal artist Arnolds Naikas, the chairman of the LMS Applied Art Section, the textile artist Rudolf Heimrat (1926–1992) a recommendation and a decision signed by the chairman of the LMS board, painter Edgars Iltner (1925–1983). Indulis Urbāns participated in exhibitions organized by LMS, such as “Art Days 2017. 100 years after the revolution” (LMS gallery, 2017), “Art Days 2019. LMS 80” (LMS gallery, 2019), etc.
For his creative activity in enamel art, Indulis Urban has been highly appreciated, he was accepted as an honorary member of enamel art associations in Germany, USA, France, Great Britain.
The works of Induļs Urbānas are included in the Museum of the Union of Artists of Latvia, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design/National Art Museum of Latvia, the Jurmala Museum, the Riga History and Shipping Museum, as well as in private collections in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, France, the USA, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Spain, etc.
