Arūnas Rutkus was born in 1961 in Vilnius, Lithuania. In 1985, he completed studies in monumental painting (fresco, mosaic) at the Lithuanian Academy of Fine Arts. The artist has exhibited his work in more than 50 solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including:

- Art En Capital, Grand Palais (Paris, France)

- Salon de SNBA, Carrousel du Louvre (Paris, France)

- Fourth St. Petersburg Biennale "Spatia Nova" (St. Petersburg, Russia)

- European Painting, Sharjah Art Museum (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates)

- International Monetary Fund Art Association Gallery (Washington, USA)

Arūnas Rutkus' artworks can be found in museums, galleries, and private collections all over the world. The Sheikh of Sharjah (UAE) acquired the artist's painting titled "Horse", which he donated to the Sharjah Museum (UAE). NBA stars Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis own works by Arūnas Rutkus in their art collections (A. Sabonis has a collection of fifty artworks by Arūnas Rutkus). The artist's painting titled "Leaf" belongs to the singer Sting.

Since 2017, Arūnas Rutkus has been donating his works annually to Caudwell Children UK and Amber Lounge Monaco charity auctions.

Arūnas Rutkus is also known as a film director, whose short film won a special jury prize at the Milan Short Film Festival in 2016 with the "Fragrances in Motion" award, and his directed video for the song "No Tomorrow" by "Happyendless" won the MTV Fresh award in 2008.

Since 1995, Arūnas Rutkus has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists' Association, and in 2012, he was admitted to the French National Art Association (Société Nationale des Beaux Arts (SNBA)).