Member of the Union of artists of the USSR. Honored teacher of the Latvian SSR.
The first skills in drawing and painting learned from the pupil of Art school of Penza R. stern. He studied in the evening school society of Handicrafts Liepaja (1900 – 03), Studio of J. Rozentals in Riga (1909), in the Department of decoration fabrics of the Central school of technical drawing Stieglitz in St. Petersburg (1911 – 15).
The artist was the youngest apprentice in a printing house of Meyer in Liepaja (1904 – 07), worked in the Studio of decorative painting curaua E., and K. Pasila in Riga, was raskraska designer in Petersburg (1915), an art teacher at the Riga schools (1916 – 18), a clerk in the Education Department at the Board of Liepaja city (1918 – 19), an art teacher at the Liepaja schools (1919 – 35).
Ya Sudmalis was one of the founders of the Liepaja society for the encouragement of arts (1919 – 1940), the first head. He participated in the creation of the Liepaja Museum of History and Art, was a storekeeper, Director, head (1923 – 58). The artist was also one of the founders of the liepāja secondary school of applied art, the Creator of the curriculum, teacher, directed the departments of decorative painting and wood sculpture (1926 – 40), Director (1940 – 41, 1945 – 48).
In the late 1920s, J. Sudmalis visited France, Germany, Italy.
In exhibitions the artist has participated since 1920.
Personal and memorial exhibitions are organized in Riga (1977, together with P. Klavins, 1982, 1987, 1992), Riga (1977), Vainode (1970, together with A. Baumanis).
The artist was a member of the Association of Independent artists (in the 1920s) and a member of artists Union (since 1945).
Literature:
1) “Latviešu māksla tēlotāja 1860 – 1940” Atb. red. S. Cielava – Riga, 1986.
2) “Māksla un arhitektūra biogrāfijās” Atb. red. A. Vanaga – Rīga, 2000 – 3.sēj.
