The Pillars of Gediminas is a serious symbol of Lithuanian identity, yet in this work the symbol reveals additional sides of itself, bringing forward qualities that are less common in this context: childlike freedom, playfulness, and spontaneity. This tone relates to the pseudonym Šelmis Plunksnadraskis used by Balys Sruoga, in which the serious literary and theatre theorist chose a light, ironic, and playful identity.
Through contemporary materials and fragments of a child’s drawing, the symbol of Lithuanian identity becomes a marker of memory, a gesture of respect toward an important figure in Lithuanian literature while at the same time remaining a living, evolving symbol that holds seriousness, irony, creativity, and freedom of language and expression.
20x13x1 cm
Acrylic paint, drawing on paper, textile, lacquer on plywood