Once in the Curonian Lagoon

Voldemaras Valius – a painter born in 1955 in Šilutė. He studied at the evening department of the Klaipėda Children's Art School, where he was taught by renowned artists such as Algirdas Taurinskas, Vidas Pinkevičius, and Angelas Gabrielaitis. Valius maintained friendships with these artists even after school, visiting their studios to draw inspiration and refine his painting skills. A particularly significant influence on his artistic identity was his acquaintance with Vilnius-based painter Valdas Antanas Gurskis (b. 1936), who consistently encouraged Valius to pursue painting.

Since 1983, Valius has been actively exhibiting his work, organizing solo exhibitions and participating in group exhibitions. He is a member of the Lithuanian Folk Artists' Union. In addition to easel painting, he has also created murals and stained glass works, though unfortunately, they have not survived to this day. His paintings are held in private collections across Europe, the United States, and Australia.

Perhaps the most accurate way to describe Valius is as a creator. This term allows the viewer to better understand his relationship with his art and the themes of his paintings. His oil-on-canvas works depict vast, self-created worlds shaped by his conscious and subconscious imagination—fairytale-like, fantastical, surreal, and symbolic.

His paintings, characterized by vibrant, rich colors, fine decorative brushwork, and stylized figures, strongly resemble fairy tales where anything is possible. The characters he portrays—kind-hearted wizards, angels, and other ethereal beings—contribute to the creation of these magical worlds, spreading beauty, peace, and goodness. Overall, Valius' works exude a spirit of positivity, joy, and lightness.

His favorite genre is landscape painting. Nature in his works often speaks through symbolic, abstracted forms, poetic and romantic moods. He strives not only to capture nature but to enrich it with his unique perspective and emotional depth, creating an impression of a vibrant, enchanting, and healing environment. A particularly important aspect of his landscapes is the harmonious relationship between humans and nature—his characters are depicted finding refuge in nature and becoming one with it.

It is difficult to classify Valius' art within a single stylistic movement. His paintings blend surrealistic motifs with symbolism, while their illustrative quality, stylized forms, decorative elements, and rich narratives also connect to Lithuanian folk art and naive art traditions. Like other naive artists, Valius expresses a distinctive worldview in his work—one unrestricted by academic art principles, emerging from the deepest layers of the soul. His creative process is spontaneous, sincere, and full of life.

Art historian Agota Bričkutė