AIWS - art from wonderland
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aiws


The world obliges me to do something, so I create.
 Society wants me to belong, so I observe.
People force me to react, so I rebel.
They want me to stay still, so I paint.
Life requires me to live, but I am dying. . .

Happy Autistic Pride Day!

18/6/2015

2 Comments

 
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So, today is the international Autistic Pride Day. On this day we aim to celebrate autism and finally put more and more focus on the neurodiversity. (just a couple of days ago I was interviewed by Anti-Speciesist Women about neurodiversity and how social justice movements could be a little bit more inclusive, that you can read here). 
We live in the world that wants to acknowledge only one way of being - neurotypical. Everyone else who falls under the neuro-atypical umbrella is seen as not valid. Obviously, our society is very ethical, so we are allowed to exist. Thank you for the permission, very kind of you. Autistic people are also part of the neuro-atypical scale, so yai!, at least we fit somewhere. 
I think it's really important that everyone who is not on the spectrum takes a step back and listens to what actual autistic people have to say. There are autistic people out there (what a surprise, autistic children grow up and become autistic adults) and we have a lot to say, but the world does not want to listen to our thoughts. 
The biggest problem is that neurotypical voices are much louder than neurodivergent. They market their message better. Society not only patronises autistic people (and actually everyone who is not NT), but as well dehumanises us. Autistic people are seen as broken, wrong, less humans... It's difficult as hell to speak up when all your life you were shunned and told that there is something wrong with you. 
They tell you you have no future. They tell you that everyone else knows better what you need, even when they are wrong. They tell you are a mistake. Actually the biggest mistake in this planet. And you learn to believe them. 
But there are more and more autistic advocates who spoke against organisations like autism speaks, harmful therapies like ABA and the search for magical cure. I'm not going to go into more details why those things are harmful and why autism speaks does not speak for autistic community, maybe use google or ask if you really can't find. 
There are more and more autistic people who speak about their experiences, ideas and sometimes we are even heard (thanks to the internet). 
So, what if autistic people do not want to be cured? What if people with brown eyes want to stay brown eyed? What if your message that people suffer from autism is not only a lie, but also causes lots of harm? What if there is not only one way of being or thinking? 
I'm wondering what would happen if one day people would stop pushing their harmful views on others and dictating everyone around how to be. Would the world come to the end?..
Shouldn't everyone just start challenge those structures and ideas? 
Oh, and there is something else I wanted to say. For some reason majority of people tend to believe that autistic people have no imagination. How far from the truth is it! The world in my head is much more real and much more interesting then the one I'm forced to live in. Sometimes it's so awesome that I have troubles staying in this one, and not because I do not respect people around me, but because in my own world the conversation we are having right now has finished a while ago and we did lots of other things in between. And it's not only me who thinks so (about the wild imagination), most of autistic people I heard talking said something very similar. 

P.S. in case you missed, there is a kickstarter campaign running right now to get my next picture book about neurodiversity published, so you can go HERE to support my work and pre-order the book. Yeah, I'm very pushy: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aiws/the-girl-who-didnt-know-how-to-be

I said it once, but will say it again. My problem is not me, my problem is the world that can't stand the fact that not everyone is the same and not everyone has to fit into the fucking patterns someone created to control the society. 

HAPPY AUTISTIC PRIDE DAY EVERYONE! 

Copyright © Lex Kartanė

All rights reserved.
All works are copyrighted and not to be used without the permission of the author.
2 Comments

Mūtātiō, Köln and my exhibition

13/5/2015

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I had such an amazing time in Germany, thanks so much to everyone who came and shared their thoughts with me on Saturday! You people are incredible! I was so scared and terrified that something will go wrong. That people won't understand my artworks and like most of the time I won't be criticised for what I should be, but will experience personal attacks and my ideas will be torn apart. It didn't happen (ok, there were a couple of people who said nasty things, but who does care about them anyway when you have many supportive people around?). It was one of the best days in my life! 
Hello world. 
I just had an exhibition in Germany and still feel over excited about how great everything turned out. So bellow You will be able to find some information (mostly pictures) how it did go. 
And here you can read a proper introduction to the series Mūtātiō
It's so important to talk and connect different issues. Every single piece of Mūtātiō questions gender constructs, looks much deeper into the transition process as well as carefully touches a huge inequality between species. We live in the society where is vital to question our own superiority and realise connections in this huge intersectional, sometimes broken, spider web. World pushes its own morals and ideas, not leaving enough space to reflect our lives, ideas or question one's status quo. But we must stop and think. We must stop, feel and realise that not everything we were told is true. The world is not only black and white. The whole life is a grey area. The obvious might be hidden, but we need to look deeper to realise it. 
You do have a voice. Don't let them silence you...
Special thanks to my parter in crime Theresa for all the wonderful help and support. Talking with you, sharing ideas, planning the future and discussing things made life so much better and easier. Thank you for believing in me and interpreting my works. You are AWESOME (I'm awesome sometimes too). Hope we'll be able to share much more art adventures in the future! 

To all my friends who came all the way from different cities and different countries. Love you all! Thank you for being here and sharing those great moments with me. 
Shout out to all the fantastic human beings I met, it was so much fun to share my ideas with you, can't wait for next time!
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As the space was huge I decided to use one of the walls as a conceptual space and do something different. 
I even felt like being at university again, just this time I was the one making all the decisions and there were no teachers you need to please. All the time I was surrounded by most encouraging people who believed in what I'm doing. 
I was not sure how visitors are going to react to this exhibition, as like always, my art is SO controversial, metaphorical and philosophical... Through my art I talk about things that make society uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. You can't find answers to the questions and after looking and investigating end up having more questions. That's what art should do - make one to think and question.
It worked very well and we ended up discussing about life, universe, inequality and our own experiences. 

Thank YOU everyone who wrote (and drew!) into my book and shared your personal feelings, emotions and thoughts with me. 
My art (and sadness) is everything I have, so sharing it with the rest of the world, getting so much positive feedback and being able to talk with people who can see and feel more than just a beautiful picture made me extremely happy. 
I feel inspired and want to do so much more! I want to be able to leave something with a meaning, something much bigger than I am, much more important.. So people could remember my works and still talk about my ideas after I'm gone. 
I DO NOT WANT GO BACK TO THE REALITY! 
Copyright © Lex Kartanė

All rights reserved.
All works are copyrighted and not to be used without the permission of the author.
2 Comments

A Jar of Queer Feelings

1/1/2014

1 Comment

 
I'm happy to announce that 3 of my artworks are featured in this wonderful book, so feel free to get Your own copy to discover 36 artist and writers. More information here.
"A Jar of Queer Feelings is a queer no budget collaborative media project started by Sarah Magdalena Love in the summer of 2013. 36 artists and writers have contributed to the first edition of this book series resulting in a collage of queer life that touches on various dimensions like family, sexuality, politics, gender and liberation through various art forms, personal essays and poetry. The ebook was published for christmas, a print version will be released in January 2014. All proceeds from sales will benefit Gendered Intelligence, a charity that fosters debates around gender, educates, organizes social events and raises awareness for the ways in which heteronormativity restricts everyone. 

The copy right for every work in this book remains with the author/artist, all of which have kindly offered their contribution without receiving any payment. I strongly encourage you to check their biographies and get in touch if you are interested in seeing more of their work. "

""The universe is lot only queerer than we imagine, but it is queerer that we can imagine."
J.B.S. Haldane

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And there is another great thing about this book:.
Everyone should be able to enjoy art and poetry - but if You can't afford to buy a copy of it (and it's really not expensive. . ., but let's say You are really struggling to survive), Please send an email to hello @  sarahshantiyoga.com and she will email You a free copy of the book. Awesome, isn't it?

But if You able to spare some more money, feel free to do so. All money raised will go Gendered  Intelligence, a charity that fosters debates around gender, educates, organizes social events and raises awareness for the ways in which heteronormativity restricts everyone.

Thanks for Your attention,
dear human beings.
Have a wonderful and productive 2014!


1 Comment

Dreamy elephants

19/7/2013

2 Comments

 
If You feel like helping a starving artist, the best way to do that is purchase my works. Thank You!
I decided to sell works from the series "Dreamy Elephants", so You have a chance to purchase really unique aquarelles on canvas.
Balancing between fantasies and reality, pleasure and pain “Dreamy Elephants” series provides a view not only to the suffering and dreams of beings in captivity, but as well introspective depths of the human kind. By the special technique, individual styling, stories full of hope and at the same time so desperate AIWS creates a surreal simulacrum of the captivity world. It reveals scenes out of a dream, but it always comes back to the reality, where happiness is nothing - just the impossible.
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Price: starting from 300 EUR (depending on the image)
I accept payment via PayPal or usual bank transfer.
Each artwork is signed on the front side (upon special request signed and fingerprinted in blood).
100% money will go to the starving artist (aka me).
For any questions or additional information please contact me at: info@aiws.lt

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To order an artwork please send an email to info@aiws.lt.
If You are interested to purchase any other other work of mine, send an email to info@aiws.lt. Most of works from website and social networking sites are available.

Copyright © Lex Kartanė

All rights reserved.
All works are copyrighted and not to be used without the permission of the author.
2 Comments

Should I kill myself or have a cup of coffee?

30/6/2013

4 Comments

 
For those who like to follow me, my life, interested in my works and so on, it's a very good place to do that. In meanwhile all other blogs got lost, were deleted or forgotten, so from now, You can read some "news" here. Who am I You may ask. I'm a weird invention, that got stuck in this planet (by accident or not). I like to critise mankind, search for the justice and do not belong here. What else do I like? I like to discuss and cannot stand argumentation fallacies (but I use them sometimes on purpose as well, just the rest of world seems not to notice), I'm obsessed with the first perfect number and Alice in Wonderland Syndrome as well as works of mister Douglas Adams. I like to drink tea, but only with people I love or on special occasions (or on my own of course!), because Tea For Two is kind of an answer to the Universe.
I was going through my old interviews and found this quote from an interview I gave to Vociferous magazine long time ago "In philosophical point of view, everyone’s death is an apocalypse for him. You don’t know if world will continue without you, maybe this world is just a creation of your imagination." And I find that it is still very interesting to think about this.
What else? I'm excited about Dirk Gently (he is brilliant! If I would know someone like him in real life, that person would be my favourite person ever and I would do almost anything just for a possibility to have social interaction with him!). And it seems that his "holistic" methods are quite universal not only for detective investigations, but for a normal life as well. At least in my life quantum mechanics are working pretty well.
As well, I'm planning to visit Icon of Coil concert in the near future, continue to work on my old projects and start some new.

About humans: The only real intention humans do have is to lie and manipulate others. Sometimes it is hard to believe as people can be quite good trained (they like to hide this intention and even deny it), but sooner or later, it appears in one or another way.
So, like one person asked in his book, should I kill myself or have a cup of coffee?
What do You think, fellow earthlings?

Just that I do not drink coffee. . .

And something very different (my works from this spring).
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As well of course You are more than welcome to check my other social networks:
Facebook
Twitter
ModelMayhem
DeviantArt
and perhaps many more : )
Copyright © Lex Kartanė

All rights reserved.
All works are copyrighted and not to be used without the permission of the author.
4 Comments

my art exhibition in Munich, Ecce Homo or why am I so clever?

29/6/2013

12 Comments

 
"Why do I know more than other people? Why, in general, am I so clever? I have never pondered over questions that are not really questions. I have never wasted my strength. I have no experience, for instance, of actual religious difficulties..." (borrowed from Nietzsche)
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Last week I had an exhibition in Munich, so bellow You will be able to find some information about it.
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Mit berührenden Bildern und Fotographien von schmerzhafter Schönheit, führt die Künstlerin den Betrachter in die Welt des Tierversuchs ein. Kombiniert mit informativen Textpassagen, enthüllt Milda Bandzaitè die Wahrheit hinter der klinischen Kälte des Tierversuchs: ethische Grausamkeit und wissenschaftliche Absurdität.

© Ärzte gegen Tierversuche e.V.

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Wahnsinnig traurig und berührend - und andererseits bekommt man es gleich mit der Wut zu tun und ist schlichtweg schockiert.

© ClaudiGoesVegan
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Thanks to everyone who came to show their support and interest in my works. Even more thanks to those who shared their ideas, thoughts and many other things with me during that time. Special thanks to: Jonathan, Laima, Nicole, Michael and Jasmin.

Through my art I try to make people think about the absurdity of many things that were created by mankind. I would like people to think more about their actions by themselves and not to follow the mass blindly. If one chooses to do a wrong thing, it should be done by his/her own will and not just because the rest of humanity does the same wrong thing. I believe that art is one of the ways to make our world and the planet a better place.

Despite the fact that I always criticize mankind, I still kind of liked You, human beings.
I hope that people in Munich liked me a little bit as well and will be looking forward for the next time.

Eine sehr empfehlenswerte Ausstellung mit sehr berührender Kunst von Milda.

©TariTime
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Fragment from my work "Brain Fusion" (Project "Vivisection")
a Conceptual Artist from the Wonderland

©GraphicArtNews

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Experiments on animals are quite common and popular, but not many know about the common laboratory Homo Sapiens that is an ideal experimental animal for several reasons: abundance of literature published pertaining to them, ease of handling, high fertility rate and disease model for various disorders and diseases.
Someone pointed out, that it might be unethical to perform experiments on humans, but I disagree. We do not violate any rights of human beings, simply because they have none to violate at all. They are not morally self legislative and cannot possibly be members of any truly moral community  or possess rights. Although from time to time I raise those moral questions to myself as well.

There is no harm (only ethics) involved in behaviour studies, but how about studies for medicines, cancer and others? Humans have to be killed for various reasons during those experiments, including the collection of blood or tissues, disposal at the end of an experiment, especially where humans are experiencing pain which cannot be alleviated. It is believed by some scientists that humans are one of the relatively few species to have sufficient self-awareness to recognize themselves in a mirror. Although mirror test really cannot be a reliable source for measuring consciousness. 22 years I observed human race and learned a lot about them. I can tell that there is no big difference between human’s and sheep’s mental abilities.
It is easy to motivate humans during experiments; researches showed that the primary motivators and stimulators are food, easy entertainment toys (like TV) and sexual intercourse. You, human beings, are all the same. But I still find it interesting to observe and experiment on You.


So, thank You for reading and being interested in my art!
Copyright © Lex Kartanė

All rights reserved.
All works are copyrighted and not to be used without the permission of the author.
12 Comments

    AIWS

    AIWS is a strange invention in this planet - a machine with a brush, pen and camera in its hands. It just observes and pictures the sad and cruel reality of everyday life. If You do not get it, do not worry too much, it just means that You are average. But of course You are more than welcome to read, think about and even share Your very important thoughts. Just remember: the majority of humanity does not interest AIWS at all, so please, do not feel offended. It's not You, just Your mediocrity.

    Support my work:
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