Jurgita Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė, Eglė Čėjauskaitė-Gintalė & Ugnė Blažytė

Works exhibited by E. Čėjauskaitė-Gintalė are baroque ornaments reminding silver ‘lace’ which are so thin that it seems they do not even cast a shadow. It is the touch of the artist seen in many exhibitions. These pieces come like from mysterious ancient civilizations also being fragile and elegant, decorative and stylistically complex. Even the smallest of the details – buttons, hooks, fasteners – are independent art works formed roughly and making note of subtle texture. These ‘nets’ give sense to being – they can be worn as armors which protect and imprison. Strengthening a body part – wrist, neck or foot – like a magic splints they are more for soul then body. Ephemeral, refined pieces are conceptual, wearing of them, even if it is possible, can be considered as a subtle performance. Artist’s creations place is in indefinite zone, between function and concept, their value reaches both of the spheres. However that is exactly what is the element of high jewelry.

Glass monstrances by Jurgita Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė were displayed like on the altar to reveal the Seven Cardinal Sins and to remind lost spirituality of society. Red floccules in the center marks lust; wallet – greed; wrath is ‘hanged’ with a hook; flat and empty glass symbolizes sloth when there is nothing, no emotions nor desires. Complex creations if needed could be used at church but now they highlight philosophical and social disabilities. It is the most conceptual and complicated works in the exhibition which sparingly and with a precision uncloses theme of humanity lost, idea of primal being and spiritual poverty. Laconic and cruel reference of lost values forces a viewer to think about to which of the objects he would give a bow and where his personal demon is hiding.

In most of the U. Blažytė works Braille system has been used. It is already unique by itself and it is also significant to blind people. For example, from dices it is possible to make around 70 words and relief necklace allows playing with textures by interpreting them. Fragrant boxes with different herbs like jasmine and lavender allows not only read what is written but also to sense rich scent and in ‘David’s Star’ magical hexagram ‘The D-O-G-O-D’ is presented as a puzzle from magnets. In authors mind it is object which can be observed by both sighted and blind who could share tactile experience. “Smell” spoon-boxes can be fixed to the necklace together or separately, they can be chosen by mood or the time of the day. Aromatherapy, text and jewelry in the same time put creation into polysemantic and multifunctional understanding sphere.