Playing card exhibition “Collectors: Open cards”

Exhibition by Romanas Krasninkevičius ROMANAS Galaunė House-Museum, Vydūno al. 2, Kaunas Can a name determine one's destiny? Looking at the life and work of Romanas Krasninkevičius, this question loses its rhetorical nature, as Romanas' life truly turned into a novel (romanas) – a long, winding, dramatic narrative that transferred into his work, which became a kind of chronicle of his life. War and post-war experiences, the loss of loved ones, childhood memories, loneliness, and a love for his native land and folk songs became the themes of his works. There was almost no life experience that would not sooner or later become a work of art. Romanas' life was also marked by loneliness, which over time became not only a painful experience but also a lifestyle he chose for himself. ROMANAS is an exhibition about pain and its transformation into creativity. For Romanas, suffering became a kind of creative muse – not an inspiration that awakens the imagination, but a force that compelled him to carve the surface of a board. Romanas would transfer the blows of fate onto the material impulsively, sometimes unexpectedly ripping open a closet door or grabbing a stool and furiously carving what was pressing from within. His words, "for me, creativity was a tragedy, a terrible tragedy!" are a ruthless confession. For Romanas, suffering was the material of his creativity, its power, and its price. The visual language, compositional principles, and iconography inspired by 18th–19th-century folk woodcuts acquire new, autobiographical meanings in his works. Laconic drawing, rich contours, monumental figures, poetic metaphors, and texts incorporated into the carvings create a unique world where reality intertwines with memories, dreams, and inner experiences. The characters in the carvings often resemble Romanas himself – with his thick beard, build, and facial features. ROMANAS is an exhibition about a man whose life was the foundation of his work, and for whom art became a way to survive and immortalize what was most precious. Exhibition curator: Vilma Kilinskienė Exhibition coordinators: Raimonda Mineikė, Silvija Burokaitė Exhibition designer and architect: Lina Mozūraitė

Exhibition dates: 2026 11 18 – 2027 03 27