Kristaps Gulbis

In 2020 Gulbis together with a group of other Latvian artists started a political movement against the newly reformed Latvian Government law proposed to change artists' royalties. The movement resulted in multiple pop-art projects, flash mobs and public discussions. Broadcast by the Latvian National Television, Gulbis met on-air with the Minister of Culture of Latvia Nauris Puntulis to discuss the topic and later attended a closed-door meeting with the President of Latvia Egils Levits.

Some of the artist's most notable work include his project Pink House (together with Aigars Bikše) presented at the 51st Venice Biennale, Italy; the Monument to Freedom (2018) in Belgium, and The Pine Trees of Rainis (Raiņa Priedes; 2014) in Latvia commemorating the famous Latvian poet and playwright Rainis.

In 2016 Gulbis co-founded the design company Kiel Arto Design in collaboration with P.Kalnins adapting an innovative, unique and environmentally friendly approach to product design and functional art. Kiel Arto Design was showcased in the 2017 and 2018 Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City, US and the ICFF in Miami and was handpicked by Architectural Digest as one of the '17 On-the-Rise Designers You Should Know Now' about.

Gulbis has lectured at various US universities and art centres across Europe, Asia and the US. Some of the most notable include the University of Southern California (UCSC) and the University of New Mexico. In 2012 Gulbis was the SPARC's International Artist in Residence and has collaboratted with the Bank of America, CEC Artslink, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), the McColl Center for Art and Innovation and other international institutions. He has been the Leitrim Sculpture Centre artist-in-residence in Ireland, as well as one in Sapporo, Japan, England, UK, Italy, Austria, the US, South Korea, Taiwan and other countries.

In 1994 Gulbis married the TV and radio personality, producer and director Daina Jāņkalne. Together they have 3 children, Gustavs Gulbis, Paulīna Klīva Gulbe and Amēlija Gulbe. Their current family residence is in Latvia.

In 1991 Gulbis graduated the Estonian Academy of Arts and since have been active in the international art scene. His first solo exhibition in 1992 in Riga was quickly followed by the second in 1993. Shortly after in 1996 his work could already be seen in Italy, Poland, Moscow and Germany before spreading to a wider international scene encompassing the US, Asia and the rest of Europe.

Kristaps Gulbis (born 26 July 1967) is a Latvian sculptor and artist known for numerous contemporary art projects in more than 25 countries. His works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Modern Art in Hokaido, Japan, and at metropolitan sites in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Riga, Moscow and other European cities, as well as in New York, Seoul, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The visual art projects curated, directed and managed by Gulbis have been set in England, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Estonia and elsewhere in Europe.

In 1967 Kristaps Gulbis was born into the notable Latvian artist family Gulbis. His parents are Aivars Gulbis, the famous Latvian sculptor and artist, and Agija Sūna, the long-time LTV journalist, former ballerina and the founder and owner of the private art gallery Asūna. He has two sisters, also artists. Some of the family's extended history is depicted in the memoirs In-between the Laws of Five Powers (Starp piecu varu likumiem) by Gulbis's grandfather, first published in 2018.