POINT OF VIEW
A journey through wood and wonderment
Julija Palmeirao, exhibition curator, art critic and member of the International Art Critics’ Association (or AICA).
The Children's Room takes us into a fascinating and troubling world which explores the intricacies of human existence and the world around us. Though a veil of purity seems to envelop the works on display, enigmatic and sometimes deformed bodies catch the eye and provoke conflicting feelings with each other, such as security and strangeness or innocence and worry. Behind the innocent title, lies a world that is far from idyllic, and that contrast is at the heart of Mykolas Sauka’s artistic approach. He explores dichotomies like beauty and ugliness, purity and corruption, creation and destruction, tradition and innovation. Each sculpture becomes a microcosm of the human experience, resonating with narratives of vulnerability, resilience and the passage of time. When walking among the sculptures, we are confronted with fear and oddity and realize that our subconscious can sometimes accept strangeness as inevitable.
Mykolas Sauka breathes life into wood through an ancient craft process, blending heritage and contemporaneity. Inspired by religious art, he uses ancestral wood carving techniques that echo the traditions of votive sculptures. Documented in Church history since the 5th century,e century, these votive offerings were typically made of precious metals and took the form of human body parts—embryos, legs, hands, eyes, and so on. They were often attached to venerated images such as miracle paintings, statues, altars, or reliquaries. Used to express gratitude after a healing or averted disaster, the shape of votive effigies corresponded to the grace sought or received from God: an eye for healed sight, legs for safe travel, hearts for matters of love.
Mykolas Sauka's sculptures are ascetic, raw, unadorned, and offer a deliberately austere interpretation of the "ritual of sacrifice." Unlike ancient customs, his works reflect a society in constant evolution, where artists push the boundaries of tradition but preserve its fundamental essence. Mykolas Sauka explores the themes of deformation, mutilation, and transformation, mixing voluntary (the practice of "lotus feet" in China) and involuntary (congenital changes and transformations) body alterations. He thus evokes human cruelty and the sanctity of venerated body parts.
Mykolas Sauka breathes life into the wood with an ancient craft process, blending heritage and contemporaneity. Inspired by religious art, he uses ancestral wood sculpting techniques in the tradition of votive sculpture. Documented in the history of the Church from the XNUMXth century onwards, these votive offerings were generally made in the shape of human body parts, from precious metals. They represent embryos, legs, hands, eyes, etcetera. They were often attached to revered images such as miraculous paintings, statues, altars or reliquaries. Used to express gratitude after a cure or a disaster averted, the shape of the votive matched the mercy sought or received from God: an eye for healing sight, legs for a safe journey, hearts for matters of love.
Mykolas Sauka has chosen to express himself through woodcarving, a practice that has existed for thousands of years, in many cultures across the world. In ancient times, wood was an abundant and accessible material used for all types of objects (both secular and religious). In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, wood craftsmanship was closely linked to the production of religious works. In African, Oceanian, Native American and pagan cultures (Lithuania was the last pagan state and European country to be Christianized in the late XNUMXth century), wood sculptures were often used during ceremonies to represent deities, ancestors or protective spirits. The Lithuanian artist has therefore made a conscious choice to work with wood, rooted in its historic significance and cultural symbolism: a symbol of renewal and spiritual connection. Thus was born Mykolas Sauka’s recurring theme, a baroque “Angelo,” filled with personal stories, addressing the issues of collective memory and cultural heritage.
Through his enigmatic and unsettling characters, the artist is not directly criticizing religion or human intervention. On the contrary, he is questioning the representation of the body, its beauty and ugliness. His work creates a space devoid of clear narration, where aesthetics and horror intertwine. The artist invites the viewer to navigate through an ambiguous world.
With The Children's Room, Mykolas Sauka sees artistic creation as a game: complex and full of mystery, pleasure and secrets. The metaphorical playroom becomes a mirror image of the human existence; a place where innocence and darkness mingle, where each sculpture tells a story without words, but is filled with meaning and questions regarding our humanity. This is a profound exhibit, presented as a testament to the lasting power of art to provoke, challenge and inspire. The artist is constantly looking to confront you with timeless issues such as identity, morality, destiny, suffering and thus existence itself.