The
Artist
Rūta Kalmuka
Lives and Works in
Riga
Rūta Kalmuka is a Latvian photographer whose passion for analogue photography took root during her secondary school years under the mentorship of Andrejs Grants. For roughly seven years, she immersed herself in the art of film developing, darkroom printing, and the finer details of traditional photography. This hands-on experience laid the foundation for her enduring commitment to analogue processes. Despite the demands of a busy editorial career, Kalmuka consistently nurtured her personal art practice. She created bodies of work focused on her immediate family, capturing intimate narratives through the tactile, deliberate medium of film. Over the years, she participated in numerous group exhibitions, both in Latvia and abroad, showcasing her evolving perspective on family life and everyday rituals. In 2022, she transitioned from the news agency to a new role as a photographer in a museum setting, affording her more time and creative freedom to develop her ideas. This shift allowed Kalmuka to delve deeper into the conceptual aspects of her projects, further refining her analogue techniques. Two years later, in 2024, she exhibited a long-term family-centered project at the ISSP Gallery—an exhibition that encapsulated her ongoing exploration of memory, identity, and personal history. Through her distinct blend of traditional processes and reflective storytelling, Kalmuka continues to expand the expressive potential of analogue photography.
Projects
2025
DZEN
The project “Dzen” is based on the study of ritual – its symbolic as well as practical
meaning, which serves as a strengthening of the connections with the traditions of
our ancestors, the cycles of nature and the mythological way of thinking. Ritual
helps as a protective as well as healing mechanism, arranging oneself and the
microcosm around. Many cultures have rituals that are similar in the idea and
nature. For example, where bad, dark thoughts or forces are transformed into some
animal or other creature which is then sacrificed - burned or driven away, thus
hoping to get rid of the dark forces and protect themselves from evil and diseases.
Today we have to think a lot about the healing power of such a ritual, as well as
protecting and maintaining not only oneself and our loved ones, but also about
protecting our land, identity and culture. It is important not to forget the knowledge
of our ancestors, but bring it to life and apply to the nowadays cycle of everyday life
and create a new narrative and perspective on mythology.
In my work I visually and ritually revive an ancient Latvian spring solstice ritual,
which was called "Chasing Birds" and “Calling Birds”. It was common only in a
small part of the territory of Latvia, which was inhabited by a small ethnic group -
Livs. According to this tradition several big birds symbolized evil spirits,
diseases, misfortunes and performing various rituals, singing, making noise, people
chased them into the forest. At the same time small birds were called to the yard as
they symbolized returning of the light.
The process of working on this project was really like healing for myself as it takes
much time to go to the forest with large format camera, find abandoned places,
think about the creatures and forces I want to chase away not only from my land,
but from myself as well. The developing of images were also transformative and
time consuming process as I shoot on regular photo paper and photo fabric and all
these are direct positive reversal prints.
The title “Dzen” in Latvian has different meanings. It means to chase away, break
through and at the same time the state of mind – Zen or Zen Buddhism – the
pursuit of enlightenment.
Rūta Kalmuka
ISSP
Show all projects
Each year every member of the FUTURES European Photography Platform nominates a set of artists and projects to become part of the FUTURES network.
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