Miķelis Golts (1922-2007)

"Believe in your star, which shines brightly in your chest!"

"A person must be persistent, purposeful, with faith in their heart, who constantly goes on a quest to create something creative and unprecedented."

Painter Miķelis Golts was born on December 25, 1922 in the village of Nida, Rucava parish, into a fisherman's family. He died in his cottage "Pie Miķeļa" on April 23, 2007, and was buried in the Liepāja Central Cemetery.

The artist painted in a technique that he developed himself. In his painting technique texture was very important. Because of this peculiarity and his creative life Miķelis Golts had received more than one critical remark, and his painting style was often even treated with suspicion. Miķelis Golts possessed enormous defiance, great work ethic and confidence in what he was doing. The artist's painting style and technique are an admirable and lasting value in the overall picture of Latvian art. The paintings stand out for the created texture, free, impulsive way of applying paint and the plasticity of the work surface. The artist carefully hid the recipe for his technique and took it with him into the afterlife.

M.Golts experienced a harsh childhood due to death and poverty. In 1928, at the age of five, his father died in a storm in the Baltic Sea. Remembering this difficult childhood experience, M.Golts dedicated the painting "In Memory of My Father" (1987). M.Golts' mother moved from Nida to Liepāja with her five children. The family lived in poverty in the basement of a Liepāja city house. M.Golts worked from an early age, he went to the shepherds, where he drew his first works of art on birch bark. Miķelis Golts graduated from A.Sauliķis Elementary School in Liepāja, and studied painting from 1938 to 1939 in the private studio of Kārlis Hartmanis. His mother gave him money to pay for K. Hartmanis's private lessons in drawing and painting. M. Golts loved and cared for his mother very much. Despite the disbelief of those around her, she always believed that her son was talented and would achieve what he set out to do. In honor of his mother, M. Golts dedicated the painting “In Memory of Mother” (1980). During World War II, for avoiding conscription into the Latvian Legion, he was imprisoned in the Liepāja labor camp. The artist's mother had hid her son in a closet so that he would not be found in the carriage. In 1944, M. Golts became involved in the boat movement for refugees in Liepāja and thought about fleeing to Sweden, but could not leave his mother. From 1945 to 1946 he was drafted into the Soviet Army, where he worked as an artist designer in the Latvian Rifle Division. M. Golts believed that he would rather die for the sake of his art than shoot at people. Miķelis Golts studied at the Decorative Design Department of the Liepāja Art Secondary School from 1947 to 1949, but did not finish it, because he always argued and came into conflict with teachers. Already at this stage of his life, the artist showed his individuality, stubbornness, and his own view of painting.

From 1947 to 1972, the artist worked at various jobs to earn a living, as a painter and carpenter, an artist designer, and also a teacher at the Liepāja Art Secondary School. M.Golts earned money for a living during the day, but painted at night, the works were created on a canvas or cardboard lying down on a wood stove in the kitchen on Graudu Street, where the artist lived.

The best work table for M.Golts - was the billiard table that he used as an easel. It was produced in Latvia during the 1930s. Miķelis played billiard with friends and associates and created his works of art, in the artist's workshop on Jūras Street.

M.Golts's painting technique is complex, he used plastic mass and paints, but in order to be able to paint, it was necessary for the paintings to be in a lying position. He used spatulas and brushes, creating the necessary texture for the paintings. The texture of the painting was made from used paints and seaside sand and shells, as well as other unknown ingredients.

The artist's life partner Ināra Ozoliņa-Golta (1931-2021) played an important role in the artist's life and artistic creation. They married in 1974, but had already known each other since early youth. Ināra Ozoliņa-Golta was an accountant by profession, who with her meticulousness and pedantry was able to organize the artist's airy and dreamy life. Ināra, together with Miķelis, selected works of art and took care of exhibitions. Together they were a harmonious couple, complementing each other, providing mutual contribution.

For several years in a row - 1979, 1980, 1982 - he participated in art plenaries in Siberia "Artists for the Fleet". In 1988, he participated in the International Plenary of Painters in Georgia.

In 1989, M.Golts purchased a house in Liepāja at Fr.Brīvzemnieka Street 26, which was a slum, he aimed to restore it and create an exhibition hall for his paintings. Miķelis Golts, with his enthusiasm, resources and the support of his fellow citizens, restored the house and created an exhibition of paintings “Pie Miķeļa”. From 1993, Miķelis and his wife lived in the house “Pie Miķeļa” and organized social events for artists and cultural workers. Ināra was an excellent host who treated guests to traditional Latvian food (skrandrauši and bacon rauši), but Miķelis was always a cheerful dancer and singer. Miķeļdiena was celebrated in the artists house with “Atštaukā” and other folklore groups. Austra Pumpure was a friend of Miķelis and Ināra, and their family, she often visited and cheerfully sang Latvian songs together.

From 1947 M.Golts organized exhibitions of his work, in 1973 he became a member of the Latvian Artists' Union, and was also included in the "Kurzeme Vārds" selection of "The most outstanding artists from Liepāja of the 20th century". In "Kurzeme Vārds" one can read about M.Golts, that he is: "A unique follower of his own path in art". M.Golts has had 24 solo exhibitions during his life. The last of them was in August 2004 in Riga at the House of Blackheads with 40 large-format paintings "My Kurzeme". In 2005, a solo exhibition "Siberia in Liepāja" was organized at the Liepāja Museum.

After the artist's death, in 2008 memorial exhibitions "The Echo of Siberia" were organized at the Liepāja Museum. Also, the landscape painting exhibition “Miķelis Golts. Unusual Liepāja” at Liepāja Museum in 2013. In the independent exhibition from 2018, you can see M. Golts's artworks in the exhibition “Liepāja-Time-Artist” at the gallery “Romas dārzs”.

On May 18, 2019, on Fr.Brīvzemnieka Street, the house “Pie Miķeļa” was opened for public visitors as part of the “Museum Night”, during which the artist's widow Ināra Ozoliņa-Golta, for the last time, showed the paintings to the visitors of the exhibition and told them about the life of the artist M. Golts.

The most significant solo exhibitions of M.Golts: in Liepāja (1969, 1970, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1987/88, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2013), Jūrmala (1976), Riga (1985, 2004), Aizpute (1986, 1988, 1995).

After the death of Miķelis Golts, his widow Ināra Ozoliņa-Golta donated paintings to the Liepāja Museum and the Latvian Occupation Museum, as well as to other recognizable Latvian persons. M.Golts's paintings are in the Latvian Artists' Union Fund, state and municipal museums, and private collections in Latvia and abroad. M.Golts's works have been exhibited in the USA, Italy, Japan, Russia, and Sweden.