Solo Exhibition:
Reflections
An exhibition of a series of ceramic sculptures
The exhibition Reflections depicts a series of four sculptures and a standalone sculpture, Idyll. The quadriptych depicts wood, fire, earth and water through the portrayal of a king, a queen, her crown and her fire. The piece is intended to serve as a documentation of a fictional ceremony and a ponder of the concept of time - portrayed as an archival-looking piece, as if dug up from a spiritual site, used over and over again until reaching a point of visual decay.
The work embraces the concept of firing the clay - in some ways a spiritual practice of eternity that so few natural materials can achieve, recording our history and practices. The piece is influenced by the paintings of Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, which were informed by his interest in spirituality, alchemy, astrology and various Eastern European mythologies. His work is heavy in symbolism, which is an approach I also adapted in my creative process and installation.
The piece is a representation and preservation of one of the toys made by my mom that have been close to my heart. The catfish is glazed and decorated in a way that merges me and my mom's art practices - my mom loves subtlety, diluted colors and decorative patterns, which I incorporated using underglaze layered on top of the glaze.
I portray the fish through my perspective as a child. I recall a desire to own a toy bigger than me - the idea seemed to me like something that could only exist in my imagination or a developed land far away. This piece is both an appreciation of my mom's efforts and art practice, as well as gratitude for my parents and all their efforts to give their children the opportunity to live freely and to practice creativity.
Idyll - 18 x 10 x 10.5 in - Big White clay, glaze, ceramic watercolor underglaze - 2023
The work has also been inspired by my Lithuanian heritage, a topic that has been on my mind since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2021. The political tensions have been felt in all of Eastern Europe. The question of security of our homeland has also been in question since I was a child - with each development of the war in Ukraine and every time I plan my return to Lithuania, fear and uncertainty occupy my mind.
Lithuania is known for its lush forests, and fires - almost always occurring unnaturally - are undoubtedly devastating. Disasters like the 2006 fire in Neringa are remembered to this day as great misfortune but also as a force to unite the already small population. In this way, forest fires are not only an environmental disaster, but also a trauma to the nation and our valued homeland and heritage.
Queen - 15 x 10 x 10 in - Big White clay, glaze, wood ash, gold, silver, copper and mother of pearl paint mediums - 2023
King - 12 x 9 x 9 in - Big White clay, glaze, wood ash, gold, silver, copper and mother of pearl paint mediums - 2023
Crown - 8.5 x 8.5 x 6 in - Big White clay, glaze, wood ash, gold, silver, copper and mother of pearl ceramic mediums - 2023
Fire - 17 x 17 x 17 in - Big White clay, glaze, wood ash - 2023
