The Sound of the Sea II

Robert Bluj, who was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1970, is a distinguished artist, educator, and holds the title of habilitated doctor in fine arts. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1992 to 1997, completing his Master of Arts in 2014. He later obtained his PhD in fine arts at the same academy. In 2020, he received the highly regarded habilitation degree in fine arts, focusing on the conservation and restoration of plastic arts. A member of the Lithuanian Painters’ Association since 2002, Bluj was recognized as a distinguished creator of art by the Lithuanian Minister of Culture in 2005, in acknowledgment of his dedication to the arts.

The human figure serves as the core theme throughout Robert Bluj’s artistic endeavors. For Bluj, painting resembles staging a theatrical performance—the subjects in his pieces become actors, cast in new roles that reveal layers beneath their external personas. He deliberately omits references to time, location, and adornment, underscoring the shared aspects of the human experience. The vivid substitution of blue for natural hair, for example, introduces a sense of theatricality, bestowing each figure with transformation while preserving a sense of timelessness. As Bluj explains, his work refrains from recording external likenesses; instead, it exposes unseen emotions and hidden facets, encouraging viewers to connect more profoundly with the subject’s authenticity.

In terms of technique, Robert Bluj is exacting in both his creative process and material preparation. He personally stretches and primes linen canvases, and at times, prepares his own paints. He regards these preparatory rituals as meditative, believing they have a direct effect on the resulting artwork’s quality. Notably, Bluj has devised a unique method of combining oil paints with beeswax, which eliminates shine and prevents distracting reflections, thereby enabling the audience to fully appreciate the unity of his compositions. His paintings display delicate changes in paint thickness; areas that are most prominent and luminous draw the viewer’s gaze, allowing forms to emerge from a dreamlike atmosphere into tangible reality.

Although Robert Bluj is best known for his pioneering figurative paintings, his body of work also includes evocative cityscapes of places such as New York and his hometown of Vilnius. Through these urban scenes, he demonstrates his remarkable capacity to reinterpret familiar landscapes with originality, steering clear of triteness or sentimental tones. Bluj’s art can be found in private collections in Lithuania, Poland, the USA, Austria, China, and England. In his role as an educator, he established a studio in 2000 where he has instructed students of all ages in drawing and painting, and he has significantly influenced the development of future artists. Among his accolades is the Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, awarded to him in 2013 in recognition of his outstanding artistic accomplishments and his efforts in promoting Polish culture.