On the sides of rusted barrels or broken steel spheres, Lithuanian artist Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė (previously) applies delicate reminders of resilience. Using cotton thread, the artist stitches vibrant flowers and butterflies onto facets of corroded metal, joining materials that seem to have little in common.
Where metal is rough, strong and useful, embroidery is soft, gentle and decorative. Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė uses these diametric features in her ongoing research on war. For example, a large metal ball titled “OFFSIDE” represents the cumulative conflicts in the world. “It’s like a huge disaster with a little embroidered butterfly that is a small, fragile sign of hope,” she says.
The tiny nation of Belarus separates Lithuania from Ukraine, where the consequences of Russia’s ongoing attack are reverberating throughout the region. “The war is very close to us,” the artist tells Colossal, “so we cannot relax and just think about life.” By integrating insects and flowers, imbued with symbolic references to compassion, generosity and care, Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė suggests that despite people’s destructive actions, hope remains.
Find more information about the artist Instagram.
