ABOUT ŽILVINAS JONUŠAS
Žilvinas grew up in Lithuania, in a little town on the shore of the Baltic Sea. His parents gave him a name from one of the oldest fairy tales (Eglė Žalčių Karalienė - Eglė the Queen of Serpents). His fate was set with it. Fairy lands and magic seas became his world through the fairy tales his grandmother told him at night before bed. He grew up surrounded by nature and farm lands, looking for a fern flower every midsummer night. Žilvinas recognized that this magic world fairy tales told him about really existed after he saw the first theater performance on TV and later in live theater. He realized, humans were able to create these worlds themselves.
There was no potato harvest without Žilvinas, his brother and cousin performing on the threshold of his grandparents’ house on a small raised platform with two steps leading to it. Creating laughter and entertainment for others became this magic potion for Žilvinas invigorating him. As long as he remembers himself his passion was in entertaining others. After his high school Žilvinas entered Vilnius University where he met his mentors who gave him the tools for the magic that is theater, film and written word.
During his studies in Vilnius he met Andrius Brazys and Giné, two artists who became these other magic fairies. They introduced him to the world of painting. Meeting Andrius and Giné was like a fairy tale. One late evening, while visiting his classmate’s girlfriend, Žilvinas saw her room filled with paint, brushes and canvases. The time stopped the moment he took a paintbrush and dipped it in thick oil paint. The next thing was the morning and Giné sitting in front of him, looking at Žilvinas covered from toe to ears in paint. Giné looked at the mess Žilvinas created and told him, you must paint, adding that he also should meet her best friend, an artist, Andrius Brazys.
An exhibition of Andrius’ paintings was next to the theater Žilvinas worked in at that time. Before meeting Andrius’ angels Žilvinas didn’t know that a simple black line could make such an impact, that he would freeze in front of it, filled with emotions. Andrius was telling him through his droopy eyed angels with penises something important, something that touched Žilvinas to the core. This is how Žilvinas met another fairy who became his friend, opening more magic doors into the world of art.
Žilvinas had no money to buy expensive canvases. He painted with oils on pieces of paper and Masonite cuts he found disposed somewhere. His dorm room walls were covered with drying oily pieces he created, usually at night when everyone slept. There was no room for them to dry anywhere else, but attached to the old wall paper with pins. Žilvinas physically met Andrius a bit later, when Andrius was looking for a place to crash escaping somebody. Their meetings were always filled with mystery and unexplained which gave more food for Žilvinas’ vivid imagination. Later they lived in the same building, renting the same type of apartments right next to each other without realizing it. The tragic death of Andrius thought Žilvinas about the fragility of life. Andrius angels landed in the soul of Žilvinas leading him where he is now creatively.
During his theater/philology studies at Vilnius University Žilvinas met another important person in his life. Yuri Popov became his mentor and his main theater teacher. Later with Popov Žilvinas joined to create a unique performance group Pop-Off Show Theater. This happened after one night Žilvinas called Popov and asked him directly to make him a star. Now Žilvinas is unsure what kind of star he wanted to become, the one which shines in fairy tales giving guidance to the others or the one which throws spark from stage and film. This creative marriage proved to be very fruitful bringing new genre of entertainment in the freshly independent Lithuania’s night life.
After wonderful run with Pop-Off Show Theater Žilvinas was ready for a grander scale of things. He decided to explore the land of Americas. He moved to the one of the most diverse and exciting places in the world, New York City. There he finished his Masters in Media Arts and later Masters of Fine Arts in New Media Art and Performance. During his studies he met mentors who became his teacher, who later became his colleagues. Žilvinas’ school friends became his collaborators in all things art and performance. His life in New York City continues.
When Žilvinas is not creating theater, he is building sets or is lost in the world of colors with his paints and brushes. He is either typing or writing long hand his many tales, scrips, plays. Žilvinas can disappear for some time and fully immerse himself in all things nature, growing gardens and orchards, building houses for birds and planters for house plants, hiking in the woods and fishing in lakes.
Photo by Vladas Daugintis
© 2010, ŽILVINAS JONUŠAS