photography.
liepa.
[lee-e-pa]
Lithuanian - linden tree, lime tree
The story of liepa dates back to 1940s…
My great grandfather, Matas, seeded the love for our motherland - and freedom - deeply in the hearts of his three sons. From a young age, they were seen as “lights of the village”. Patriots. Activists. Committed to giving their lives to preserve their home, Lithuania, a country stuck in a cycle of oppression…
As Soviet occupation and World War II approached, my grandad and his brothers refused to comply with their invader’s regime. They created cultural groups and joined partisan movements. They formed part of the resistance.
The patriotic work of the brothers did not go unnoticed by the regime. One by one, my grandad Antanas and his brothers, Izidorius and Alfonsas were declared “state enemies” - they faced consequences, and were sentenced to exile in Siberia.
Alfonsas spent 14 years as a political prisoner in Vorkuta (Siberia), doing hard labor in coal shafts.
Antanas went missing, before miraculously escaping to find his way home.
Izidorius talked his way out, emphasizing family circumstances including his wife Emilija, their newborn baby and unborn second child. He claimed he would not rebel against Soviet leadership. However, it did not take long until he was back in the woods with fellow partisans, devoting his life to fight for Lithuania’s freedom.
On the 2nd of July, 1945, my family faced its darkest chapter.
Neighbours, who were unknowingly sympathetic to the Soviet regime, convinced Izidorius that he should visit his young family. Shortly after, our homestead was surrounded by Soviet officers [stribai]. Izidorius tried to flee out of a window, but their bullet was faster… going through the prayer-book in his chest pocket and striking directly into his heart.
“And the angel was powerless against the monstrous cruelty of the nation's enemies. His still warm body was thrown into a hay cart , a slaughtered veil was thrown on top, and the old father was ordered to take two cows and follow… 10 kilometers great-grandfather Matas walked, tripping and kissing the ground on which his sons blood was dripping drop by drop…”
As they left, the occupier set the family home on fire. The young linden tree, liepa, planted by Izidorius himself, turned to ashes with it…
Over time, it resurrected, and a strong tree with four trunks grew out of the remains.
Liepa became a symbol of my family, a symbol of life.
50 years after the tragedy, on last day of the July (‘liepa’ in Lithuanian), I was born. The first baby born into freedom in my family.
Liepa has become my totem. Its complexity and richness has accompanied me throughout the journey of life. Teaching me to search for beauty in struggle, and strength in pain.
Written with credits to my aunt Gražina, Izidorius’ first born and my fellow poetic soul. Thank you for ensuring our story and our ancestors live on in our hearts.
Nojus' bases.
eternal playground.
Nojus bases is a character led concept, that grew out of liepa almost as a sub-chapter.
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Nojus is my little nephew whose grandparents live where our Liepa tree still grows.
I followed him around not as a photographer, rather as an admirer... a lucky aunt, fascinated by the freedom and creativity of his mind.
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Our perception of reality as we grow up seems to become increasingly limited by the need to fit within the boundaries society imposes on us.
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Nojus’ does not conform to any norms nor see any limitations. He creates his own world and constructs his own reality.
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Nojus calls these places “his bases”, each of them with an established purpose and each meaning something to him.: something more than we in our adult brain can often comprehend. It is his world.
He's got his sand base, a scrap yard base, a wild cumin base (yep, you read that right) and countless more.
Living with no immediate danger in our eyesight, we almost routinely take for granted what we have and become consumed by playing “professional adults”, hiding under a mask of normality. We forget to pause and simply be. Be ourselves and appreciate existence. Appreciate freedom.
To gain the "right" to take these images, I had to become Nojus' friend, his playmate. Earn his trust and be granted access to his world.
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Beyond just taking some images, the key to my work lies in building a genuine connection. Investing the time and respecting the world of your subject.
For me, it is just as important to know when to take out the camera and understand when to put it away.