The exhibition features the work of self-taught painter Petras Rutė (1934–2016). The artist’s works reveal philosophical reflections on human existence and the world, as well as motifs from Lithuanian mythology, the Christian religion, and Eastern cultures. In his paintings, signs and symbols of past cultures intertwine with his personal spiritual experiences and his unique perception of the world. The exhibition is curated and presented by the folk artist’s daughter, Ieva Rutė.

Petras Rutė was an interesting and distinctive self-taught Lithuanian painter active at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, who participated in national folk art exhibitions and competitions. P. Rutė has painted over 2,000 works and organized more than 20 solo exhibitions. He has been a member of the Folk Artists’ Union since 1991. In 1993, he was awarded the Adomas Varnas Prize—named after the renowned artist—for his series of paintings “Time Takes Everything Away,” and in 2005, he was granted the status of “artist.” In 2011, the Lithuanian Art Museum acquired some of the folk artist’s paintings.

P. Rutė’s original work features philosophical images that reflect on the world. The artist’s paintings reflect the mystery of human existence, its inner contradictions, and its duality. Lithuanian mythology, the Christian religion, and Eastern motifs play an important role in the artist’s work. Signs and symbols of past cultures, as well as depictions of saints, reveal an unbroken connection to the earth and the deepest spiritual experiences. These works, full of beauty and thought, speak to a sensitive and talented artist.

Rutė was born in the village of Dirgalis, in the Darbėnai Parish, Kretinga County. From 1954 to 1959, she studied the Lithuanian language and literature at Vilnius University. She worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ weekly newspaper *Liaudies sargyba* and later held an administrative position. Her studies of her native language, the history of her nation, its archaeology, and ethnic heritage, along with high moral values, shaped P. Rutė’s personality and worldview. His creative nature, aesthetic ideals, ideals of universal human existence, and inner experiences found expression in the poetry and prose he wrote throughout his life.

The exhibition will run through October 24 at the Nišinė Gallery.