Woman from Renda creates 'dižapļi' – Latvian symbol mandalas
A former preschool teacher from Renda left her job and city life three years ago to make dižapļi – round compositions of traditional Latvian symbols, inspired by Valdis Celms' book on Latvian signs.
Rūta Vonda-Ābele, who lives in the village of Renda, creates dižapļi – Latvian-style mandalas made by combining traditional Latvian symbols on a round birch plywood base. Her husband cuts the round bases, while she paints them with acrylic paint and creates the designs using a dotting technique.
Before taking up this craft, Vonda-Ābele trained as a preschool teacher and spent five years working at a Montessori kindergarten. Three years ago she decided to change her life, leaving Riga to return to her native Renda. During this period of change she also separated from her daughter's father and left her job in order to find time for her new pursuit.
From knitting to Latvian signs
Her interest in traditional signs began earlier, when she knitted her own original patterns. A deeper understanding came from Valdis Celms' book "Latvju raksts un zīmes" (Latvian Ornament and Signs), in which the author referred to Latvian-style mandalas as dižapļi. She liked the term and began making circles for other people according to their wishes — most often related to harmony, family unity, prosperity or spiritual growth.
According to Vonda-Ābele, the arrangement of signs and colors is not merely decorative but works on an energetic level, and a dižaplis should be placed according to its purpose — in a shared family space or in a more private room such as a bedroom.
Signs in everyday and family life
Vonda-Ābele notes that Latvian signs have become overly commercialized in recent years, including their use on food packaging, which she considers an inappropriate place for them. She stresses that the intention behind using a sign matters most.
Together with her husband, she has also made wooden construction sets for her daughter that let the child assemble Latvian signs herself, developing fine motor skills and reading ability at the same time. Making dižapļi is not her only occupation at present — she also works as a masseuse and is currently studying at a sauna school.
