From 16 September to 22 November 2026, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga (Skārņu iela 10) hosts the exhibition Rūdolfs Heimrāts 100. Legacy, dedicated to the centenary of the outstanding textile artist Rūdolfs Heimrāts (1926–1992) who was professor at the Art Academy of Latvia and founder of the Latvian textile art school.
“I love sitting at the loom and weaving. Everything leading up to that moment is filled with doubt and struggle. All kinds of possibilities surround me, and I could go on considering them endlessly, but once I am at the loom, I can honestly say that I am happy. I prepare for it almost as a ritual: I arrange all my materials, choose the records I want to listen to, and then, with the selected music playing, I weave thread by thread. My hands and feet move continuously; only my head, once bowed in the morning, remains that way until evening – and I am happy,” Rūdolfs Heimrāts wrote in one of his letters.
The exhibition unveils Rūdolfs Heimrāts’ multifaceted creative and pedagogical legacy, highlighting his significant contribution to the development of Latvian textile art in the second half of the 20th century. Alongside tapestries, decorative textiles, fabric print designs, and ceramics, special consideration is given to his work as an educator at the Art Academy of Latvia who has inspired several generations of textile artists. Visitors will enjoy exploring Heimrāts’ works from various museum collections, learn about the unrealised creative projects from his family archive, documentary films and photographs from private archives and the Latvian State Archives of Audiovisual Documents. The display also features vibrant fabric prints and innovative textile designs in different techniques. For the first time a particular focus has been placed on Heimrāts’ collaboration with architects (M. Staņa, Dz. Driba, O. Ostenbergs, L. A. Knāķe, M. Ģelzis, and others) and his contribution to the development of interior design.
