Body Symbols / photo-based performance / archival pigment prints / 2018 - on going
Body Symbols series is inspired by Marija Gimbutas' archeological and anthropological discoveries on matrilineal societies during Neolithic and Bronze age. Her famous Mother Goddess Theory is based on figurines that were found across Old Europe. The figurines were representations of goddesses associated with moon phases and earth seasons, embodying nature and cosmos itself. Their exaggerated sexual organs had no erotic significance but rather reflected links to reproduction and nature.
Over time, I document myself performing nude poses that mirror Pagan symbols such as waxing and waning moon as well as the ancient figurines found throughout Eastern Europe - specifically from the Paleolithic Age that resemble mythological women such as the Spiral Goddess, Mother Goddess, and others. Through the use of risograph printing, I reproduce these images of my body into collages, adapting traditional Lithuanian textiles and decorative symbols in the process. These documentations are printed on hahnemuhle photo rag paper.