Daiva Staškevičienė, born in 1968 in Vilnius, is a Lithuanian artist known for her detailed and imaginative work.
Daiva Staškevičienė’s artistic journey began in childhood and later continued through formal studies, culminating in a Master’s degree in Graphic Art at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Having studied under the prominent Lithuanian graphic artist Leonas Lagauskas, her work is grounded in precision, structure, and strong composition.
Her graphic work is highly detailed, yet it goes beyond technical skill. Carefully constructed scenes open into a symbolic, subtly surreal world, where elements drawn from imagination, nature, and folklore emerge gradually. Each work reveals new layers over time.
Alongside printmaking, she has developed a strong painting practice. Working in oil, Staškevičienė employs the glazing technique, building her images through thin, translucent layers to create a rich sense of materiality. Her figures—faces that do not represent specific individuals—feel timeless and slightly mythical. Set against nearly flat, undefined backgrounds, they seem to float between surface and space.
Her work connects to the ideas of André Breton, who described surrealism as a meeting point between dream and reality. In her work, this connection appears gently, creating images that feel both familiar and subtly uncanny.
Graphic works are produced in limited editions, while paintings are unique pieces, making them especially valued by collectors.
About this artwork+
The painting displays four figures adorned in vibrant, intricate attire, strongly reminiscent of historical European fashions. Each character is uniquely attired, embellished with various ornaments, gears, and clock components, suggesting a steampunk influence. The central focus of the scene is a fantastical, multi-tiered structure resembling a castle. This structure seems to be constructed from various mechanical and architectural elements, surrounded by floating balloons, gears, and clocks, which add a whimsical and surreal feel to the scene. The characters appear engaged with this central structure and each other through gestural interplay, examining and showcasing the castle's details. The background is a flat, serene, sky-blue canvas, further accentuating the rich detail and color of the subjects. The texture and patterns on the costumes and the mechanical castle imply a blend of the organic with the mechanical, creating a vivid tableau that is both historical and fantastical.
