ROKAS DOVYDĖNAS. Vase I. From series THE WEBBED-FOOT VS LOUHAN, 2012

Rokas Dovydėnas is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and curator based in Vilnius. One of the most appreciated Lithuanian contemporary ceramic artists, he graduated in 2020 with a Doctor of Arts degree. His artistic interests range between design and art, between applied ceramics and artistic installations. Both the creative process of moulding and the final aesthetic expression of the work are important to the artist. Conceptually, the artist is interested in the Eastern ceramic tradition, its centuries-old history of imitation, and its technologies (e.g. transforming local clay into an outwardly similar Chinese porcelain). The ceramic vases created by the artist are inhabited by two fascinating characters – The Webbed-Foot and Louhan. The Webbed-foot is a fantastical creature, similar to a tadpole, while Louhan is a historical figure, a fighter associated with Buddhism. Both of these characters are eternal enemies, fighting each other in the fantastic universe of Rokas Dovydėnas.