Soviet artist Indulis Zarins

Latvian and Soviet artist Indulis Zarins (1929-1997) – member of the Union of Artists of the Latvian SSR (1960), member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1978). Member of the Communist Party since 1964. Winner of the Lenin Prize (1980), People’s Artist of the USSR (1986). People’s deputy of the USSR, honorary member of the Royal Academy of Arts. The work of Zarins is characterized by emphasizing the nuances, expressive color, contrasting colors. In the 1960s – 1970s, most notably the impact of the “severe style” themes of the paintings were mostly working people, builders of socialism, of the revolution and the Civil War. Also painted portraits, still lifes, transferred to canvas impressions of long-distance travel or read books. Often consciously went for the merger of genres. He has participated in exhibitions since 1956. The most famous works: “What a height!” (1958), a triptych “Soldiers of the Revolution” (1962-1965), “Blizzard” (1968), “Portrait of the artist Boris Berzins” (1964), “Kaspar and Kristaps” (1969), “Cubic Still Life” (1973), “Florence” (1967), “Rome” (1980), “Don Quixote” (1979), “Self Portrait” (1980), “Artist Leo Svemps in the studio” (1987), two cycles of paintings dedicated to the Latvian riflemen.

Indulis Avgustovich Zarins was born June 18, 1929 in Riga, in the family of craftsman August Zarins. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in 1941, together with his family he was exiled to the Tomsk region of the RSFSR. He lived in Siberia – Narym and Syktyvkar (1941-1947). Zarins graduated from high school, worked in a factory, then as an assistant decorator in Dramatic Theatre of the Komi ASSR and an actor of Puppet Theatre.

Zarins came back to Latvia in 1947. He graduated from the Riga Art School named after J. Rozentals (1952) and the painting department of the Latvian State Academy of Arts (1958) with honors.

Indulis Zarins worked as a teacher at the Riga Art School named after J. Rozentals and preparatory courses of the Latvian State Academy of Arts (1958-1962), a teacher at the Department of Painting of the Latvian State Academy of Arts (1962-1972), head of the studio of monumental painting (from 1972). Since 1988, the Rector; Professor (1974).

Soviet artist Indulis Zarins died April 13, 1997 in Riga. He was buried in the Forest Cemetery.

Soviet artist Indulis Zarins