Artwork title : Title: "Stone" from the series "Crosses" Medium: linocut Size: 118x85 cm Year: 2024

"Crosses" is a series of works exploring the connection between the Christian and pagan traditions of the Balts and Slavs: both cultures share a rich history, expressed through sacred objects and monuments created from traditional materials for over 900 years. These materials are metal, wood, and stone.

Each material has its own degree of "plasticity," yet it also dictates its own rules of work and aesthetics to the artisan.

Thus, we see: Wood is flexible and soft: a porous material, warm and easy to work with;

Metal is delicate and sharp, requiring strength and special powers, such as forging and chasing.

Stone is cold and monumental, durable and quiet. It "remembers" everything that has been, and will "see" everything that will be after us. Time is reflected in its appearance, but time has no power over it.

The study of these materials and forms, their interactions and transformations, allows us to understand how cultural forms and ideas have been preserved and adapted over the centuries. Remarkably, this process does not lose connection with the original sources; on the contrary, they acquire new forms of expression, combining ancient pagan elements with Christian symbolism. For example, the cross is not only a Christian symbol but also a figure present in pagan rituals, associated with solar symbolism and the gods of nature.

Today, a return to roots and an exploration of the continuity of ancient traditions helps us understand the identity and values ​​embedded in history.

The project encourages us to reconsider stereotypes about "pure" or "foreign" traditions, demonstrating that culture is a dynamic, living process of exchange and synthesis.

For me, the "Crosses" series is not only artistic research but also a way to rethink our roots and engage in a relevant dialogue with the past, which is essential for understanding ourselves in the modern world.