It’s so simple, it almost feels suspicious. So where is the dog buried?

In Tomas Daukša’s latest exhibition, 21 dogs and 21 flowers come together. Every dog once existed in real life, and some still do – each finding their way into Tomas’ care through various twists of fate. Some were homeless, some strayed or were abandoned by their owners, and some arrived in unexpected ways (one, for instance, came as an unexpected “addition” to the homestead his parents bought). Others came from shelters, but all were deeply loved. In the wild 1990s, stray dogs were a common sight on the streets of Palanga, and over the course of his life, the artist has cared for 21 dogs, forging a unique bond with each one.

In the exhibition, Tomas’ dogs are presented as they survive in his memory. Some recollections are incomplete – only the most vivid features remain, so they are painted based on the impression or feeling of a first memory. Soft fur, moist noses, trusting eyes: a mixture of tenderness and sweetness that needs no explanation, because the love between a human and a dog is simple.

Flowers, however, complicate things. Tomas paints flowers in much the same way he paints dogs – as portraits – pairing each flower with a dog. Nearly all the flowers are common to village gardens or cultivated flower beds. Purebred flowers and mongrel dogs are shown side by side, as former pets and gifts assigned to each of them. Yet this juxtaposition stirs suspicion. Beneath its simple surface, one senses a deeper doubt about modern humanity’s relationship with nature – a restless urge to reshape and refine the natural world into something “better”, thereby elevating human status in the symbolic hierarchy of evolution.

Tomas Daukša’s exhibition Dogs and Flowers tells a story about the beauty and the tangled value systems embedded in our connections with other beings. As in his previous work, behind the apparent playfulness and lightness lies a concern with deeper phenomena: the systems of interaction and exploitation between species. Yet Dogs and Flowers resists heavy-handed moralizing; the artist preserves the right to simple motivations – like loving animals, and painting them simply because he wishes to.

Tomas Daukša (b. 1988) is a contemporary artist belonging to the young generation of Lithuanian creators. He earned his Doctor of Arts degree from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2019. Since 2009, he has been actively participating in group exhibitions both in Lithuania and internationally, and has held several solo exhibitions. His work has been featured at international contemporary art fairs as well as major Lithuanian contemporary art institutions.

The exhibition will be on display at the gallery space (Šv. Brunono Bonifaco St. 12, Vilnius) until May 25. The opening will take place on May 8, 6 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to attend the opening — feel free to bring your dogs along!

Gallery opening hours: IV–VI 16:00–19:00, VII 14:00–17:00.

Text by Jolanta Marcišauskytė-Jurašienė.

Graphic design by Eglė Kirlytė.

Supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality, TopColor and Copy Pro.