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+
In the painting, there's a close-up depiction of a young child's face, framed within an oval shape reminiscent of a vintage portrait. The child has blonde hair and large, clear blue eyes that gaze directly out, meeting the viewer's eyes with a haunting intensity. The child's cheeks are slightly rosy, suggesting a cold weather flush. The child is wearing what appears to be a winter hood, baby blue in color, with two white pom-poms on top, resembling a playful, cozy bear hat. This central image is set against a textured golden-brown background reminiscent of old, weathered paper. Surrounding this portrait, another dramatic, dark frame encases the scene, adorned with classic ornamental details that have a slightly aged appearance. The outer edges of this frame are coated in a strikingly contrasting black texture that mimics frozen droplets or a rough, icy surface, enhancing the overall evocative and somewhat melancholic mood of the image.
