The sculpture studio “Doma” of VEF Culture Palace was founded in 1961. The founder of it was a sculptor Harry Fišer (1918–1989), who enwoked a passionate, creative attitude towards art, advancing the participants in a professional sculptor field.
Jānis Aivars Karlovs (1939), one of the most powerful representatives within the Latvian monumental sculpture group, a creative and an active artist and a great teacher, led the studio for over 40 years (1967–2009). During his time the professional level of the studio reached new levels, the members of the group created large-sized, folk themed wooden sculptures, which later were exhibited in nature.
Igor Dobičin led the sculpture studio from 2009 until 2013, when even more young people became the members of the studio.
Since 2014 the management of the studio has been taken over by Vija Dzintare. New members joined the studio without any previous knowledge of sculpting. The main tasks were to create an understanding within the members about 3D art, mass exhibition and plastic. Simple natural shapes were of use – eggs, apples and onions. Members also got introduced with new materials, such as rock, metal and chamotte. The flexibility of shapes and lines, mass placement within a sculpture – these are the main questions that need to be answered in creating sculptures.
In 2019, we compiled the work from the last five years and put it all in a small catalog and created our own exhibition at the VEF Culture palace.
The number of participants within the sculpting studio has grown, and it is joining together both the young and the old enthusiasts. Each year, the members of the studio take part in art exhibitions in Riga; some of the members participate in nationwide exhibitions (Inese Sudare) and even abroad (Olga Meļehina).