Only Safe Birds Sing | Rūta Naujalytė

Opening evening – April 23, 7 PM Contour Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition of soft sculpture by contemporary textile artist Rūta Naujalytė, titled Only Safe Birds Sing . “This exhibition is about freedom, safety, and its fragility. In my work, a bird is a state through which I speak about beauty, vulnerability, and the proximity of catastrophe – about things that sometimes hang by a mere sewing thread. It is a state where beauty and threat are very close to each other.” – Rūta Naujalytė. The exhibition explores the human relationship with nature, time, handcraft, fragility, and human experience. The title Only Safe Birds Sing directly refers to a biological reality: birds sing only when they feel safe. This metaphor becomes a conceptual cornerstone in the exhibition – only in a safe space of observation and reflection can one fully experience art, contemplation, and a conscious relationship with the environment. The exhibition features Rūta Naujalytė's latest crocheted bird sculptures. Crocheting resists mechanization – no machine can replicate it. The delicate bird feathers evoke grandmothers' crocheted doilies and times when the rush of life had not yet overshadowed inspiration. “Time flows like air – present, yet constantly slipping away. It nurtures and destroys, allowing life to fragilely emerge before suddenly cutting it short,” says the exhibition's author. Textile artist Rūta Naujalytė, with extensive international experience, lives between Vilnius and Oslo. She completed her Bachelor's (2006) and Master's (2008) studies in textile at Vilnius Academy of Arts in Kaunas. The artist actively participates in international solo exhibitions, presenting her work in Berlin, Oslo, New York, Faro (Portugal), and Mjøndalen (Norway). Her works have been exhibited in prestigious international biennials and group exhibitions in China, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Italy, and other countries.

Adresas: Contour Art Gallery