CHAMBERS OF TALES
Lithuanian Ceramic Art of the 21st Century
The collection of works by 65 artists now on show at the Mark Rothko Art Centre in Daugavpils is a symbolic digest of the trends and developments in Lithuanian ceramic art across the past two decades. Designed to represent the diversity of ceramic art created between 1999 and 2022, the collection reveals unexpected, sometimes paradoxical juxtapositions between different ceramic works, ranging from the idea of a decorative vessel to sculptural objects incorporating conceptual and action-based art forms.
The exhibition is structured to offer a personal stroll through eight chambers, with the interconnected narrative of the works on display rooted in Lithuanian folk tales. The latter were taken from two fundamental collections. Digitalised in 2012, both volumes were originally compiled by the well-known Lithuanian folklore collector, mythologist and local history enthusiast Norbertas Vėlius (1938–1996). The titles of individual “chambers” suggest a metaphorical frame for the exhibition’s overall narrative sequence, beginning or ending with the otherworldly realms of the underworld and the heavens.
On the one hand, the tales emphasise the archaic beginnings of Lithuanian ceramic art, highlighting the “natural” properties of clay and its versatility. On the other hand, the genre of folk tales is usually perceived as reflecting the primordial Lithuanian mythical worldview. In a sense, it is still going strong today, with historical facts, fantastical elements in personal interpretative accounts of actual events, and universal human experiences meshed in a single complex reality.
Art critic Rita Mikučionytė
Featured artists:
Juozas ADOMONIS (1922 – 2022), Neringa AKCIJONAITYTĖ, Kristina ANCUTAITĖ, Živilė BARDZILAUSKAITĖ-BERGINS, Ieva BERTAŠIŪTĖ-GROSBAHA, Nora BLAŽEVIČIŪTĖ, Eugenijus ČIBINSKAS, Rokas DOVYDĖNAS, Konstancija DZIMIDAVIČIENĖ, Eglė EINIKYTĖ-NARKEVIČIENĖ, Danutė GARLAVIČIENĖ, Monika GEDRIMAITĖ, Dalia GINEITĖ, Rūta INDRIŪNAITĖ, Rytas JAKIMAVIČIUS, Saulius JANKAUSKAS, Audrius JANUŠONIS, Jurgita JASINSKAITĖ, Danutė JAZGEVIČIŪTĖ, Ramutė JURŠIENĖ, Virginija JURŠIENĖ, Rasa JUSTAITĖ – GECEVIČIENĖ, Vida JUŠKAITĖ, Aistė KALVELYTĖ, Kristina KARKAITĖ-MAZŪRIENĖ, Regina KASELYTĖ-LISAUSKIENĖ, Beatričė KELERIENĖ, Aldona KETURAKIENĖ, Vilija KINDERAVIČIŪTĖ, Agnė KONDRATAITĖ, Valdas KURKLIETIS, Lida KUZMIENĖ, Jolanta KVAŠYTĖ, Eglė LABANAUSKAITĖ-STEPONAVIČĖ, Dalia LAUČKAITĖ-JAKIMAVIČIENĖ, Jovita LAURUŠAITĖ, Rima LEIPUVIENĖ, Ričardas LUKOŠIŪNAS, Sigita LUKOŠIŪNIENĖ, Eglė MASKALIŪNAITĖ-BUTKUVIENĖ, Laimutė MATIJOŠAITYTĖ-MARTINKIENĖ, Mingailė MIKELĖNAITĖ, Jolanta OKULIČ-KAZARINAITĖ, Rūta PAKARKLYTĖ, Algimantas PATAMSIS, Giedra PETKEVIČIŪTĖ, Ona PETKEVIČIŪTĖ, Milena PIRŠTELIENĖ, Raminta POLIKŠIENĖ, Ramūnė PRANCKEVIČIŪTĖ, Valdas PUKEVIČIUS, Egidijus RADVENSKAS, Džiuljeta RAUDONIENĖ, Gvidas RAUDONIUS, Remigijus SEDEREVIČIUS, Aldona ŠALTENIENĖ, Agnė ŠEMBERAITĖ, Gediminas ŠIBONIS, Egidijus ŠIMATONIS, Rūta ŠIPALYTĖ, Liucija ŠULGAITĖ (1933 – 2013), Ona TAMULIŪNIENĖ, Klara Eva TOMAŠ, Kostas URBANAVIČIUS, Daina VANAGAITĖ-BELŽAKIENĖ
Exhibition period: 8 July – 16 October 2022
