The Secrets of Lithuanian Enamel
 

Meno Niša, the Gallery of the Goldsmiths Guild, has chosen enamel as its business card from the very beginning of the gallery’s activities. In particular, the gallery has chosen the continuation and fostering of the traditions of this technique, work with established authors and educational activities with a view to maintaining high artistic quality of Lithuanian enamel. Activities of the gallery are best represented by “Out of suitcase” Lithuanian jewellery on move project, which has travelled across many Scandinavian and European countries, and three international enamel biennales held at the Meno Niša Gallery. The biennales of enamel art offer Lithuanian spectators a unique opportunity to see the trends prevailing on the stage of foreign enamel art. On the other hand, Lithuanian authors have an opportunity to try themselves out in competition with Georgian, French, Dutch, Latvian, Estonian, Hungarian or Spanish artists. Whimsical enamel techniques require heaps of knowledge, skills of using capriciously interflowing colours and are subject to eventuality only at first glance. Lithuanian authors however do not rely on unprofessional coincidences. They make all types of enamel yield: enamelled spatial sculptural forms, watercolour-like paintings, tiny disk-saws-suns dedicated to St. Bruno and many other mysterious, poetic or drastic objects are exhibited next to works made by using the traditional cloisonné technique.

Among the authors of the exhibited works there are well known Lithuanian artists, such as Tadas Deksnys, Gvidas Latakas, Marytė Gurevičienė, Šarūnė Vaitkutė and Dainius Narkus, and those for whom enamel art is a newly discovered land – such artists as Saulius Vaitiekūnas. Subtle, poetic and peculiar works by Vita Pukštaitė-Bružė are outstanding for their original range of pastel colours and light comic, while Šarūnė Vaitkutė and Dainius Narkus play with quiet minimalist forms, aristocratic enamel and gold mixes. Playful and theatrical small plastic art by Kęstutis Stanapėdis sparkles in bright colours; Saulius Vaitiekūnas presents drastic disk-saw-suns splashed with blood. One of the most famous Lithuanian jewellers Arvydas Gurevičius demonstrates, on the one hand, the conceptuality of enamel by exposing rough old enamel “tiles” reminding of the Soviet period, and, on the other hand, the precise technique revealed in a poetic platelet. Decorative patterns and technical excellence of Tadas Deksnys’ works contrast with Julius Vaitkus’ temperance. The exposition of Lithuanian enamel is a perfect reflection of currently prevailing enamel trends: conceptuality, technical perfection, precision and picturesqueness – these features are characteristic to all authors. Yet, enamel has no limits. It’s obvious. However, it has shape and colour, size and spirit to feel and touch.  
 

                                          Dr. Jurgita Ludavičienė