In this project I’m developing four large portrait oil paintings depicting what I am referring to as ‘the invisible woman.’ The subject of each painting is a close female relative who resides in my ancestral country of Lithuania. Each of the four women will represent a Lithuanian pagan goddess who personifies one of the four elements: EARTH, AIR, WATER, and FIRE.

Women’s place and contributions in history have often been invisible, overlooked and undervalued. This series honors all women who, like the elements, are essential, yet often invisible or unseen. I will shine a light on these women, representing them as Žemyna the goddess of EARTH, Gabija the goddess of FIRE, Aušrinė the goddess of AIR and the female spirit of WATER, Laumė. Although these portraits would depict Lithuanian goddesses within Lithuanian culture specifically, the portraits would recognize and celebrate women’s sacred roles in nature and society at large.