X YPP Book

Interview 132
• What can you tell us about your creative process? Where does your artwork start
and where does it end?
• Why painting? (How did you discover this medium and why have you chosen it?)
I gave painting a try during my undergraduate studies. Two years later, while I
was still already in the process of acquiring an MA in Sculpture, my efforts at
conventional painting brought me the Young Painter Award.
• What inspires you? (Individuals, contexts, etc.)
I am amazed by Facebook and Pusheen the cat. I love combat animation films and
American new wave rap with performers such as Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, and
Tay-K47. By making their music without messing with the social contexts, they
are spreading this honest joy about things, and I feel that my creative process is
influenced by this movement.
• Creative motifs. (What drives your creative practice? What are the topics you are
working on?)
My painting ‘Book Shelf’ comes to mind. As I was painting the photograph of my
late grandfather, I was also trying to imagine someone who had a happy life. I
also feel inspired whenever I find genuine happiness in the worldly processes. I
now realised that my practice of painting — the medium I no longer use — was
a form of self-observation. I am interested in creativity insofar as it is a form of
admiring myself and making ‘cool stuff.’ For example, I have created a steel wool
‘bomber’ suit for the ‘Bennu Day’. Bennu is a half-a-kilometre wide asteroid that
has a 1:2,700 chance of striking Earth in 2135. Due to the kinetic energy released
during an impact that would heat up the planet, the ‘bomber’ costume is
expected to shine brightly for a second, before the person wearing the costume
is blown away by an impact wave that would roll across the whole planet.
“Shining like I’m megaman” (Tay-K 47).
I don’t know how to respond to this question. My creative ideas often come from
an intersection between my interest in science and my religious experiences.
There are also collaborations with other people that allow for fun ‘margins of
error’ to emerge. My works often cease to exist with the termination of the
services commissioned by my clients. And I remain involved in doing all other
stuff only for as long as it brings me joy.
• Have you ever seriously doubted your choice to become an artist? (If so, what
stopped/reassured you?)
I understand identity as something that is in constant flux depending on what we
are involved in at a certain moment. Sometimes I am an artist, but I cease to be
one when I’m not creating. So I am never tormented by identity-related doubts.
• Do you find the Baltic art scene interesting? (What is your opinion about
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian art? How would you describe their differences?)
I am not an art fanatic, and I guess I am not even interested in it. The art of the
Baltic region does not interest me and I pay no attention to it. Thus I can’t say
anything about this ‘art field.’
• How did the Young Painter Award influence your artist’s career?
The Young Painter Prize had no impact on my visibility and I still have no career
as an artist.