Layers of experiences: case of Jonas and Ignas Maldžiūnai 0
In brief: The exhibition of Jonas and Ignas Maldžiūnai "LA MA YU RU" is open at Meno Parkas gallery in Kaunas (Rotušės Sq. 27) until March 21. The author of the article talked with Jonas Maldžiūnas about the trip to India, exhibition and works created by him and his son Ignas.
The trip in the land of the Himalayas that lasted almost three months brought the father and son to the joint exhibition in which paintings of Jonas Maldžiūnas and photography of Ignas Maldžiūnas is displayed. The multi-layered concept of the trip is a vivid and open motif of the exhibition. Wanderings in India, Nepal, Kashmir Region resulted in manifold experiences of the artists.
As Jonas states, he became interested in Eastern culture after the trip. He felt much during the trip and started studying things after returning. Meanwhile, these trips are like creative missions for his son Ignas. This time the photographer took several kilograms of photo films along in which he captured tiny bits of this moving land. Jonas uses photographs created by the son in his paintings, and the outcome of all these layers is the exhibition called "LA MA YU RU" (Lamayuru is a Buddhist monastery, an impressive place in the Himalayas).
The visitor will see landscapes, still-lives and daily reportages created in South Asia in 2011 in the art photographs of Ignas Maldžiūnas displayed in the exhibition. The compositions are exceptionally cosy and sometimes moving by the contrast of cosiness and disgust (beauty of nature + severe life conditions). Despite the astounding nature, attention to items of the material world is demonstrated in the photographs of Ignas – these are forms that create the aesthetics of the photograph.
Two painting cycles of Jonas Maldžiūnas are showcased in the exhibition “Farewell to the Nemunas” (2002) and “Lamayuru” (2013 - 2014). The first cycle was born from the favourite walks of the artist near the Nemunas river. In the second cycle “Lamayuru”, the artist discovered his personal system of yantras – signs through which he speaks and prays.
“When I got acquainted with Buddhist and Hinduism thinking, I realised that all religions spoke about the same thing and that signs were related with each other,” the artist noticed.
The energy of the very art work is very important to J. Maldžiūnas: “I prepare for the creative process for a long time, sometimes I do not start working with paintings for some two years as I don’t have that energy. And then this energy bursts out and I hurry to create paintings. 25 paintings of the cycle “Farewell to the Nemunas” were created in less than a week. Without sleep. Thus, energy and structure is significant. Meanwhile, the colour is a thing granted by God.”
