Inguna Ribena was born on July 24, 1956 in Riga. She began studying at the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Riga Technical University (RTU). After graduating in 1980, she continued her studies in Architecture and obtained her master’s degree in 1995. After her studies she worked as a lecturer at RTU.

In her eyes, the proportions between the moment of creation and the actual implementation of an architectural idea (electricity, sewerage, heating, etc.) were disproportionate. That is why she used her skills in cooperation with sculptors for memorial ensembles, and in this direction she successfully participated in several architectural competitions. In 1984, she won the first prize for the project of building a memorial to O. Vācieš at the Karnikava cemetery, but the organizer of the competition – the Writers’ Union of the LSSR – did not implement the realization. In the city of Liepāja, in cooperation with the sculptor Ligita Ulmanis, she took part in the design competition of Mirdza Kempe Square. The square was built in 1989. In 1991, together with her partner, architect Uģis Zābers, she won the first prize for the design of J.F. Baumanis Square in Riga, near the Supreme Court building. Despite their efforts and the convinced jury of the Riga City Council and the Latvian Association of Architects, their design was not implemented.

During her successes in the competitions, Ribena also engaged with architecture in a literary way. She wrote articles on architecture and interior design. In addition, the architecture graduate was interested in cultural and political conflicts and events.

After having a brief insight into political work from 1994 to 1997 in the Riga City Council, she became the head of the Riga City Cultural Office “Riga 800”, which is responsible for celebrations of the city. From 2002-2004 she returned to politics and was the Minister of Culture of Latvia. Today she is a member of Saeima (Latvian Parliament) six times in a row.

However, she remained committed to arhcitecture as a politician, is the following quote implies: “Architect is a way of thinking, so I still consider myself an architect. It is an art of scale and grandeur, a vision of the world.” (translated from Latvian, Inguna Ribena)