Inta Berga (born in 1955) joined the development of the general trends of the Latvian school of sculpture with her unique ideas, poetic imagery and a sense of volume and plasticity. She received her initial training at the Wood Sculpture Department of Riga Secondary School of Applied Arts (1971-1974). At the same time, she also attended classes at the Folk Sculpture Studio of the LRAP cultural centre, which was  led by sculptor Valda Malēja. As an expert in the structural relationships of form important to the Latvian school of sculpture and especially to the students of Emīls Melderis, Valda Malēja was able to provide a solid foundation in this respect and helped the budding sculptor to realise and develop her talent as a plastic artist. In 1981, Inta Berga graduated the Department of Sculpture of the State Art Academy of Latvia with her graduation piece "Monument to the victims of fascism” (supervisor: Alberts Tepilovskis). It was later cast in bronze, and in 1988 it was installed in Kuldīga, Riežupe Park (in 2011, the bronze images of the monument were stolen).

At the beginning of her creative activity, Inta Berga gained wider recognition with her laconic and at the same time semantically charged sculpture “Two (Divided Soul)” (from Latvian: Divi (Sašķeltā dvēsele)) (1987) – two halves of a face placed symmetrically but at different heights, as if identical, but different, because they represent the masculine and the feminine side. At the side edge of the facade of the cubical overall shape, the face appears to be split and both sides are separated by a vertical gap. The opposite side features similar halves of a face with a horizontal division. At first, this piece was made in wood in a smaller size and was exhibited in 1984 at the well-attended Sculpture Quadrennial exposition at St. Peter’s Church. There it was noticed by Zuzanna Sočņeva, the Head of the Riga Psychoneurological Hospital (currently, Riga Psychiatry and Narcology Centre), who thought that this image of art shows a split personality and should be installed outdoors in the hospital’s green area. Almost two metres high cube-shaped sculpture "Two (Divided Soul)” was carved in light grey granite (co-author Uldis Bergs) and in 1987 it was placed as intended.

In the atmosphere of the National Awakening, Inta Berga created generalised poetic free-standing sculptures inspired by folklore or natural motifs ("The Organ-Pedaller” (from Latvian: Plēšu minējs), 1981; “Wings” (from Latvian: Spārni), 1988, both bronze). An expressive portrait of the freethinking happening and campaign organiser, artist Andris Grinbergs was cast in bronze in 1989. The works of this period were shown in 1990 in an exhibition held together with a senior colleague Arts Dumpis.

Inta Berga was entrusted with a particularly responsible task of restoring the monument commemorating the victims of the First World War and Latvia’s freedom battles in Dobele, created by Kārlis Zemdega, unveiled in 1940 and destroyed during the Soviet period in 1950. It was replaced by a true readymade – a Soviet army tank. Only a small photo of the composition of Zemdega’s monument was preserved and the granite head of the figure of a young man was found. The decision to restore the Dobele monument was taken already in 1988, and the sculptor was invited to implement it. Architect Pēteris Venckovičs was also involved in the restoration of the monument. Inta Berga created the two-figure composition of the monument consisting of the images of a folk maid and a young man, the defender of his homeland, stylistically flawlessly. It matches Kārlis Zemdega’s form of expression, but with a slightly more delicate touch. The monument was carved in light grey granite by the stonemason Libērijs Peļņa, it was installed in 1996 near the Dobele castle ruins.

Having won recognition and first places in several competitions for environmental objects and fountains, Inta Berga has been able to implement a number of unusual concepts since 2000. The poetic fountain “Sun Boats” (from Latvian: Saules laiviņas) was opened in Ventspils, in the green area of the New Town Square  in 2000. It consists of seven similar, but nuanced, polished granite boat shapes with slightly curved, silver-like stainless steel suns on the top. In the zone between the stone and the metal, extra tiny nozzles have been installed, so that the water passes through them and becomes a mist. In sunny weather, a colourful rainbow can be seen above the fountain. The metal elements were created by metal artist Juris Gagainis, boats were carved by Ivars Feldbergs, the project’s architect was Andris Kronbergs. The fountain "Horizon” (from Latvian: Apvārsnis) (architect Andris Kronbergs) installed in Jūrmala, Majori, in 2006 was created as an environmental object associated with multiple images. With the horizontal flatness of the overall form and the serene flow of water, with the tonal differences between the bronze casting and the polished stainless steel showing the semi-circle of the sun at the horizon, a purely northern scenic mood was created. The sculptural object “Wind chimes” (from Latvian: Vēja zvans) in Sigulda (2007, concrete, aluminium, bronze, architect Vita Balode) stands out in the surrounding space with the verticality of the image.

The modified readymades of the environmental object “Trail of the Lop-eared Giant” (from Latvian: Lutauša taka) for children (2003, painted concrete) in the Reņķa Garden in Ventspils were created in a completely different way, in the joyful spirit of pop culture. The big red boot with an open toe, where children can enter inside and then slide down the black tongue, is like an interactive object. The blue hat of the giant, buttons, constructively composed white painted keys and a yarn ball are arranged in the vicinity as separate formations.

During the period, Inta Berga’s free-standing sculptures were dominated by more loosely abstracted natural motifs. They were created in 2003 and exhibited at the gallery “Asūna” at the artist’s solo exhibition ("Leaf” (from Latvian: Lapa), aluminium, granite; “Wings” (from Latvian: Spārni), bronze, granite; “When the Sun is rising” (from Latvian: Kad saule aust), aluminium, granite).

Starting around 2014, Inta Berga turned to making plastically expressive, small at the beginning and later larger, sculptural light fixtures with the idea of giving their shapes a sculptural interpretation. She used wood, veneered, turned, drilled. The outer lampshade-like shapes surrounding the light sources were covered with linen lace. This is how useful, aesthetically attractive, also symbolically appealing objects were made. In 2014, the artist ran a solo exhibition of a collection of such light objects at the Jūrmala City Museum. The next solo exhibition “The Sculptures of Light” (from Latvian: Gaismas skulptūras) took place in 2016 at the Cēsis City Exhibition Hall. Inta Berga has also been able to successfully bring her ideas to life during the transition period and in the period after the restoration of Latvia’s national independence.

/Ruta Chaupova/