Dr Liudvika Meškauskaitė, a lawyer and Partnership Professor at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, has devoted her professional life to defending people in court as a lawyer and is a well-known media law specialist. After work, however, she uses an artistic pursuit – painting on silk and canvas – to relieve the stresses and challenges, that come with her career. Her recently published book “Silk Arguments”, celebrating a decade of her work and the 105th anniversary of the Lithuanian Bar Association, features a colorful collection of her work and stories about her creative journey, including her collaboration with famous fashion designer Juozas Statkevičius.
Meškauskaitė’s works reveal a wide artistic imagination. A variety of shapes, details and vibrant colors are harmoniously laid on silk and canvas. Members of the Faculty’s community will soon be able to get closer acquainted with her work – it is planned that 27 paintings will be exhibited in the 3rd floor of the Law Faculty starting from the 11th of October, on the occasion of the Faculty’s birthday. In anticipation of this exhibition, we invite you to read an interview with L. Meškauskaite and get to know more about her creative work and her many years of experience.
When did you start painting on silk and how did the idea come about?
I have been painting on silk for a decade. It all started after a trip to Madeira when I wanted to share the beauty and colors of nature. The first collection was born in the winter of 2014 – a few tunics, batik works, and stencil drawings. But the very next year, the Silk Meadow collection blossomed with flowers in the Botanical Garden of Vilnius University. I discovered black silk and realised that copies and patterns were not for me. For me, it’s about feelings and thoughts, not rules.
How do you reconcile law and silk painting?
My work is challenging and demanding, so I look for ways to relax afterwards. Silk painting helps me to forget the difficult moments of work. However, I don’t want to turn this hobby into a business – it’s just a hobby.
What themes or motifs do you most often depict in your work?
When I sit down with the silk, it’s as if I’m letting someone else paint through me. I think we don’t create anything new – we just follow the impulses of the universe. My work often reflects flowers, nature motifs and sometimes it‘s just dots – it all depends on my mood. I draw intuitively, without following any rules. Nature, emotions and the people I meet are my biggest sources of inspiration.
What gives you the most joy in your work?
I think that creativity is a gift from God. To paint, to create something, to wait for the result – it’s a wonderful feeling that can’t be compared to anything else. I sometimes put the fabric on the frame and slowly start to paint fragments, one by one or a few by a few, taking my time. I draw one detail, then another, and so on. Finally, I pass the fabric I have created to my students or to Juozas Statkevičius, who then create a garment based on it, which is then made according to the pattern I have specified. There’s nothing more fun than creating something, it’s contagious. It’s even more fun when you make something and other people like it.
How did your collaboration with Juozas Statkevičius begin?
Before, I really couldn’t even think that I would ever work with Juozas Statkevičius, so when he offered to collaborate with me, it was simply impossible to refuse. Our collaborative collection “Silk Code” was born in 2018. It was incredibly exciting to be part of this creative process and I learned a lot during that time.
What is your biggest goal or dream?
My biggest dream is for people to live in peace and not to have wars. I believe that the more beauty we create in the world, the more plentiful it becomes. I would like people to contribute more to positive changes in the world than to negative ones.
Some information was taken from the magazine ,,Moteris”, 2023’10/OCTOBER, pages 26 – 33.