The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design offers insight into a key component of the cultural scene of Latvia, including comprehensive information about individual artists and their oeuvre, as well as the main artistic styles and trends from the end of the 19th century to date.
The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design is located in the former St. George’s Church – the oldest surviving stone building in Riga. The entire history of the 800-year-old city is concealed within the white dolomite walls of the building.
The collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design mostly includes artwork and design items created by Latvian artists.
What to see at the museum:
- The biggest collection of porcelain artwork by the pioneers of modernism in Latvia
- Extensive collection of ceramics, including bold experiments in garden and construction ceramics
- A collection of textile arts where boundaries between various techniques and genres have blended over time, creating the basis of the contemporary decorative and applied arts
- Information about the development of metal art presented by a diverse collection, from vases and tableware to metal paintings and furniture
- Collection of elegant leather art items, which includes works by the first professional Latvian book binders, known for their compositional laconism, and art characterised by modern trends driven by a desire to find new means of expression, creative freedom and thus, eventually, foregoing the functional component
- Collection of decorative wood art, where the material often forms integral part of the message of a given work of art
- Collection of glass art showcasing different combinations of materials
- The latest addition – a design collection with over 100 items
Besides the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly hosts a wide range of other exhibitions - Latvian and foreign.
You are welcome to take part
An important component of the museum’s activities is various creative workshops, where any person can learn how to make wool, work with wooden prints for decorating fabric, learn textile printing, and take part in many other activities, where every person can find a way to best express his or her creativity.
