Artwork in the room
Loreta Zdanavičienė, born on March 11, 1962, in Tauragė, Lithuania, is a distinguished artist and art educator. She completed her studies at the Fine Arts Faculty of Vilnius Art Academy in 1988, establishing the groundwork for her unique artistic expression. Since 1990, Loreta has taken part in a multitude of art exhibitions, both solo and group, with her paintings featured in 21 solo exhibitions and more than 100 group shows. Her works are included in private collections both in Lithuania and internationally, which attests to her broad appeal and acknowledgment.
A member of the Lithuanian Artist Association since 2002, Loreta Zdanavičienė has further reinforced her dedication and influence within the national art community. She is recognized not only for her creative achievements but also for her perceptiveness and pioneering techniques in art. Loreta is frequently characterized as a painter whose works surprise and engage the viewer, most notably through her singular method of using antique embroidered textiles as canvases for her paintings.
Loreta’s exploration with embroidered linens began in 2002, when the "Letters to the Past" exhibition at the St. John’s Street Gallery first revealed her paintings on vintage embroidered cloth. Her deep reverence for historical artifacts consistently permeates her art, whether she interprets physical objects or paints directly on these time-worn textiles. Her compositions often incorporate depictions of plants, flowers, and patterned fabrics—motifs she chooses with care for their historical and visual significance. Each painting is painstakingly layered over the original embroidery, preserving the fabric’s heritage while seamlessly blending in her own artistic perspective.
The histories interwoven in these embroidered fabrics are essential elements within Loreta’s art, offering profound personal and cultural resonance. By working on handcrafted textiles, she extends the stories these fabrics contain, guided by their inherent colors and motifs. Her "Embroidered Histories" series not only highlights women’s artistry and the traditions of dowry textiles but also calls to mind the ancient Lithuanian sutartinės—polyphonic harmony songs. As artist and art historian Rita Mikučionytė remarks, Loreta employs her "painting voice" to symbolically sing with the embroidery’s original creators, breathing contemporary life and interpretation into the enduring heritage of textile arts.
About this artwork+
The painting features two central figures resembling white ghostly masks or faces. These are suspended against a backdrop divided into blocked colors and what appears to be abstract shapes and forms. The left side shows one of the masks with a vertical slash of darker tones and several small, dark circular forms that might be suggestive of a cluttered, perhaps more ominous aspect of persona or identity. The mask itself is elongated, with hints of facial features that are indistinct and morphed, edged by rough strokes of gray and white that give it a smeared, fading quality. The right figure mirrors the left in form but sits against a starkly contrasting vivid red block filled with what seems like a flurry of softer pink swirls or petals. This vibrant section punches a bright, almost raw visual feeling, playing off the impassivity of the white mask. Both figures share a similar base—a sharp edge of green that runs horizontally, grounding the figures. The overall composition meddles with the concept of hidden depths behind visible exteriors. The use of subdued and explosive colors hints at the complexity and perhaps the duality of the masks we wear. The texture is palpable, with the paint applied in a manner that adds depth and intensity, invoking a sense of the material and the ephemeral in one frame.
