Valdis Celms (born 24 October 1943) is a Latvian artist, graphic designer and

neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

leader. He known for his kinetic art and is one of the leaders of the Baltic neopagan organization Latvijas Dievtuŗu sadraudze.

Early life and education

Valdis Celms was born on 24 October 1943 in , Sigulda Municipality. He was educated at the Riga Construction College and the Department of Industrial Art at the

Art Academy of Latvia The Art Academy of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Mākslas akadēmija) is an institution of higher education and scientific research in art, located in Riga, Latvia. The neo-Gothic brick building is located on Krišjānis Valdemārs Street, next to t ...

Art and design

Celms is considered one of the founders of kinetic art in Latvia due to his exploration of the artform in the 1960s. He became prominent in the Latvian artworld in the 1970s with his kinetic art, photomontages and

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...

. For his kinetic art, he combined modern materials and needs with influences from folk art and tried to emulate the movements of nature. Some of the more ambitious kinetic sculptures he designed in the 1970s were not realized at the time, but have been built and exhibited after the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1980 he designed the large "Rīga" signs that welcome people as they enter the Latvian capital through its main roads. A large retrospective of Celms' artworks was held at the

Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design The Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design is an arts museum in Riga, Latvia. The museum was established on 1 January 1989 and opened to the public on 6 July 1989. It is located in the former church St. George's Church, Riga, the oldest ...

in 2013 to celebrate his 70th birthday. In 2014 he was awarded the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

from the Latvian state.

Pagan revivalism

Celms is one of the leaders of the Baltic neopagan group Latvijas Dievtuŗu sadraudze. In this capacity he led the team that created the

Lokstene Shrine of Dievturi Lokstene Shrine of Dievturi ( lv, Lokstenes dievturu svētnīca) is a Dievturi religious building in Aizkraukle Municipality, in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It was inaugurated in 2017 and is used by the organization Latvijas Dievturu sadraud ...

on an island in the Daugava river, inaugurated in 2017. In 2007, he published the book ''Latvju raksts un zīmes'' () which went on to sell well. In 2016, he published ''Baltu dievestības pamati'' (), where he, influenced by Ernests Brastiņš,

Marija Gimbutas Marija Gimbutas ( lt, Marija Gimbutienė, ; January 23, 1921 – February 2, 1994) was a Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of " Old Europe" and for her Kurgan hypothesis, ...

and Janīna Kursīte-Pakule, gives an introduction to the Baltic deities and how to be aware of them.

Publications

* ''Latvju raksts un zīmes: baltu pasaules modelis: uzbūve, tēli, simbolika''. Folkloras informācijas centrs, Riga 2007, . * ''Baltu dievestības pamati''. Izdevniecība ''Lauku Avīze'', Riga 2016,

Early life and education

Art and design

Pagan revivalism

Publications

References

Further reading