This March, we celebrate women in craft by stepping into the studios of inspiring makers and speaking with them about process, intuition and the stories that shape their work. In this conversation, we meet Ara Radvilė, an artist whose practice unfolds through painting, symbolism and quiet rituals that guide the beginning of each work.
Photo by: Vita Vilkeliškytė
Before the first brushstroke, Radvilė draws a Tarot card. “It helps me orient myself,” the artist says. “Not to predict anything, just to understand the direction of the day.”
For a moment, the studio stays still. The Vilnelė River runs just outside, its steady sound drifting through the space throughout the day, while bells from nearby shops occasionally break through the air, carrying the scent of incense with them.
Reaching the right state of mind is part of the process. Often she reads poetry or simply sits in front of the canvas, allowing the empty surface to settle into view. The work emerges from a state of inner alignment.
Photo by: Vita Vilkeliškytė
Radvilė’s process begins with observation.
Everyday encounters, symbols, people, fragments of events, are collected in what she describes as an internal map. Later these impressions reappear as sketches and short texts that gradually develop into paintings.
“I sense the completion intuitively,” she says. “Sometimes I see that a piece could still be ‘grown,’ but an inner voice tells me: that’s it, I have already said everything I needed to say here.”
Photo by: Vita Vilkeliškytė
Her relationship with creation began early. Radvilė grew up in a family she describes as logical and rational, yet another world existed in her godmother’s home. Filled with antiques, books on Eastern philosophy, the writings of Jurga Ivanauskaitė, lush plants and curious objects, it revealed a different way of inhabiting space.
“It was a magical realization,” the artist recalls. “The understanding that surroundings, scents and music could create an entirely different kind of existence.”
As a child, Radvilė was often anxious. Creating offered something different, a way of grounding herself in the world.
“Through creating, I could hack the code of being here,” she says. Art became both refuge and exploration.
Photo by: Vita Vilkeliškytė
What does craft mean to you today?
For Radvilė, painting functions as a primary language. “Painting is my visual language through which I can fully open up,” she explains. While sketching, she often notices that the hand moves before the mind has time to intervene.
“Hands only have power when they are guided by the heart,” the artist says. “The hand moves before the mind. An inner, invisible force switches on, and I simply paint.”
In these moments, the body becomes an instrument, translating something that feels larger than conscious thought.
Symbolism has a significant role in Radvile's creative process. Sacred and archaic forms appear throughout Radvilė’s work, connecting contemporary experience with older layers of meaning. Her visual language has been shaped by many influences – a long-standing interest in Eastern philosophy, time spent in Mexico that led to her first exhibition, and a broader curiosity about mysticism and cultural histories.
Today, these layers merge with inspirations drawn from poetry and primal nature, allowing Radvilė to construct a visual language that moves between the timeless and the present moment.
Photo by: Vita Vilkeliškytė
For Radvilė, painting functions as a primary language.
When she imagines her paintings in someone’s home, Radvilė does not see them as decorative objects. For the artist, artworks carry energy.
“It is important to me that each work creates a personal connection with the home,” she says, “and that the residents find their own interpretations and feelings within it.” In this way, the painting becomes a point of quiet exchange between space, object and viewer.
Through her practice, Radvilė continues to discover something about herself. Painting has taught her resilience and transformation.
“I learned that I am strong and capable of change,” she says. “I learned to hear my authentic voice, to not be afraid of myself and to share that with others.”
For more on Radvilė’s work and ongoing projects, visit her website: araradvile.com
Photographed by: vitavilkeliskyte.com
