It is difficult to answer the question, if I have the connection to the landscape I live now, because it is not my native city, after all. However I would say that I still have quite a strong memories and feelings for the landscape where I grew up. That place was sacred for me, because of the river running through its plains. River banks were always a place to rest and to think of different things herewith to be impulsive and creative, imagining things and dreaming of curious unseen horizons and people living there. I travel to these places in my memories still, even though the real place overgrow with trees, water sank and the path leading there became trackless.
However my world grew quite bigger, since I grow up. I saw many more rivers since, which provoked unimaginable and exciting ideas which flows through my life and inspires my creative work by the sights I visited and rivers I contemplated by.
Each day I explore the river sides of Neris by which I live now, I am fascinated by water and city connections, stories it has to tell and all the spark it caries along within.
If I may say that caring about the river banks, its ecology, its integrity into cities public spaces and designing to improve the conditions for people to enjoy the river banks, make them more open and welcoming, is my way of connecting to the landscape, then I could state that I have found where my new home is.
It was not so long time ago when I realized that my design is inspired by my memories, some of them comes from an early childhood. For example, there are not so many people, who felt the joy of sitting under the apple trees and saw the play of the shadows and light, when the sun shines through the fluttering leaves. I would never think of designing a structure which is based on this principle and emotion, but intuitively and intentionally and almost reflexively I designed a structure for a commune student house, which I lived at, backyard project. What it means to me is that architecture should rise from necessity, all built forms should grow out of the need of it, like we need the shelter and a shade for our bodies and trees need the sun to flourish.
My instrument.
First of all, my instrument was my fantasy. I could spend days playing with my colored pencils and draw nothing. I imagined these wooden sticks as people, each by color with its own character. I think I remember parents wondering why I haven't drawn anything and encouraging me in doing so. When I started, It was never enough, once I even got into trouble, when I draw a maths teacher instead of writing down the task. In the end of the lesson I gave the portrait to her and saw how happy she was, however my parents were told about this incident and I couldn't resist myself of going to the art school, hoping that there I will be understood. I still feel a very strong need of being understood and try to explain and express my ideas in a clear visual, graphical way. I want to speak human language, which is emotional, spiritual and enriching.
The second chord of my instrument was a space. Colored drawings often turned into paper houses, scenography for the play or interior for the tiny little humans.
At that moment I could never guess that my favorite game will turn into my profession and that there is such a strong continuity in everything we do. Therefore I believe that: “ Everything you do comes back to you.” So lets play with responsibility and virtuosity.
I can not define exact names or buildings which made me discover architecture and its meaning, as architecture is great because it can be thought about in many different ways. I will only say that I see architecture studies as a big mosaic and each new idea, theory, aspect of it supplements the view of it, however the mosaic can never by completed, because the perception of it changes.
To identify architecture is to: feel it, know it. I prefer the balance of these two.
It is difficult do designate when the expressions of architecture started to mean something important to me, because the process is never staged, it is in progress all the time, however at first I saw the importance of architecture while thinking about the way we live in our commune houses, domestic spaces, cities, neighborhood and what kind of relations have people according to their surroundings and types of habitats. I would like to follow and develop these experiences by trying to understand why we live how we live, how we create such relationships with people around us, why we build walls or design open public spaces, how the setting affects peoples behavior and interaction and finally by making small changes contribute to a big improvements.
I started from graphics, which helped me to create a strong visual effects, visually represent work and create spaces, atmospheres through color, texture and light. I came across with sculpture when I wanted to “invent” a new shape of the building. For the concept development I often used to turn to philosophy. However, I felt lack of knowledge in social sciences and behaviorism. I try to practice and use as much resources as possible in this way expanding the borders of the profession and my education.