mone Kiele’s painting exhibition “Laume daydreaming”
From the 26th of April to the 24th of May the exhibition “Laume daydreaming” by painter Mone Kielė will be on show at the Užupis Art Incubator Gallery. The opening of the exhibition will take place on the 26th of April at 6 pm, we kindly invite you to attend!
Laume Daydreaming – is about the relevance of Lithuanian folklore figures today. This exhibition focuses on the examination of the laume archetype and its connections with the modern woman.
In lithuanian folklore, the laume (similar to a which) is depicted as a spontaneous being, whose otherworldliness is incomprehensible to ordinary people, shrouded in mysticism and legend. According to tales, laume lived among humans, showering them with treasures and enchanting spells of happiness. Yet, people feared laumes because of their unpredictable gifts, which sometimes meant curses, misfortune, or even doom, in addition to that, their seductive appearance was condemned and disgraced.
Folklore is not only based on moral norms passed down from generation to generation but also constructs symbols that serve as filters for the perception of reality. In this case, the myth of laume has become an archetype of a woman who doesn’t fit into the behavioral and beauty norms set by society. Today, this image is particularly poignant, as the constantly changing image of women dictates countless paths of expression and ways of life, which, like laume, can evoke a sense of awe with their unrestrained inner freedom and unrestricted existence.
The artist deconstructs this idea using lithuanian expression svaigti or ‘to daydream’. Daydreaming, in today’s context, describes a human trait – to view the world lightly, chaotically, and somewhat surreally, so to daydream means dreaming, creating illusions, and understanding reality in one’s own way. mone Kielė questions the extent to which a woman who deviates from the stereotypical image and is capable of creating her own reality is desirable, and to what extent she is not tolerated in society. In the exhibition, this narrow line between acceptance and condemnation is revealed through the artist’s recent paintings, in which different female silhouettes are formed with expressive brushstrokes, inspired by the author herself, her friends, and other women.
The figures brought to life by mone Kielė are no more fantastical entities; rather, they embody contemporary women, while some of the laumes take on a masculine essence, drawing them nearer to each observer. In some works, they are depicted naked, crossing imposed boundaries of decency, reminiscent of indecent laume, whose provocative behavior in folklore foreshadowed impending disasters. In other works, the female form acquires wild power, identifying with nature and, like laume, drawing energy from rain, marshes, and lakes. Finally, the motif of storm-invoking, dancing, and singing maidens restores freedom for the modern laume to be desired. In this way, by using the female image as an aesthetic form, mone Kielė examines aspects of identity, behavior, morality, and beauty standards while simultaneously drawing parallels with laume mythology.