In the house of the cardinal artist who changed herself: things were resurrected from the landfill for a second life | Life

The third woman married today says that she survives on € 200-300 a month because her and her family’s needs are completely minimal. His three daughters are happy with this change of mother. The older daughters are happy to support and support their mother’s work.

“I used to be fyfaI decorated, painted, grew up in a pretty rich environment and in Soviet times I could really have what I wanted, so now it would seem strange to my youthful friends that I had chosen such a minimalist country life. Today, we try to buy most of the items, clothing, at the flea market, used clothing stores. Second-hand materials were even used to renovate our house, and some were even found in the garbage, ”says Vilija.

She lives, as she says, between two places: a house is in the Ukmergė district in Jogvilai village, and she has a nice workshop in Dukstyna village.

The inspirer of all is the pure man Saugirdas

“By the time I discovered myself in painting, I was overwhelmed by the subject of angels. The coronavirus that hit our family and loved ones touched me very hard, we lost a loved one, so angels are my self-expression, the emotions that I reveal. My book, which will contain the wishes of the angels, should appear soon. I must thank my third husband, Saugirdas, for most of his changes; he is my guru and inspires me to look at life differently.

I fell in love with him like a nugget, because before that life with an enterprising man he changed at a completely different rate. As I say, when I met this amazing villager, a true diamond, I realized that life can be different. My gray pockets grew out of my short hair, my designer clothes sold out, I stopped visiting hair salons, and only became happier as a result. I gave up many things not because I wanted to adapt to them, but when I realized that these are not so important things to me and that this does not fill me with happiness and fulfillment. I just don’t care anymore. It may seem to someone that I have radically changed my life, but for me it is a matter of course, ”says Vilija.

Vilija’s husband is a former veterinarian, who later learned the construction trade, was a great roofer and built a house for many years. “He is free, I would say, fryganiško focus and needs very little. And since I grew up in a luxurious and beautiful environment, beauty and aesthetics come very natural to me, I feel the need to do so. So, together with my husband, we work as a team, for functionality, and for me, for beauty, ”says the artist, who is famous for her jewelry and has previously been a frequent guest on magazine pages and parties.

She adds that her mother drew very well, her aunt embroidered, her grandmother was a decorator and her grandfather made clogs, so she was surrounded by art on all sides from an early age.

Survive for a few hundred euros

“They entertain me every day because I do what I want and I earn a living from my humble livelihood. I am surrounded by very nice people and like-minded people. They are not many, but they are, as I say, real. I am an advocate of a healthy lifestyle, I see man as a holistic being, so I try to make the food more organic. Whoever visits me, I try to have a cocktail and I do not spend without the pleasant trifle that I have created. My husband grows a lot of food, he not only loves nature very much, but is also interested in biodynamic agriculture, so we have 200-300 euros to cover all our needs.

There are many things more important than money. I often donate and share my creations, my imagination has no limits because God has also endowed me with creativity, fantasies, poetry, perhaps that is why I am constantly involved in that creative transformation. And since I am dyslexic, I know the world through sensations and observation.

I live completely relaxed, I strive to be healthy, and if I get sick, I want to get sick as easily as possible, I am interested in infusions, extracts, herbs, medicinal plants. You can’t imagine what power is in that. I have free time and I am very satisfied because I can do what I want ”, teaches V.Šabunkaitė his philosophy of life.

According to Vilija’s husband, things must be functional and he believes that the world is consuming too much, so that a real treasure can be discovered among those that have already been used.

“I joke that there is a very good rural garbage dump next to us, where people bring things that are no longer used, but are still great in our eyes. There we find really good things. I even find necessary items like doors in the city near garbage containers. When we find things or furniture that people throw away in this way, we sometimes take it and resurrect it to new life. We also find many good building materials for home renovation. We buy half-finished flooring to dismantle in the neighborhoods, and when it comes to reusing these old things, we are of the same opinion as my husband, ”says Vilija.

She jokes that even her dogs live in armchairs brought from containers, like true gentlemen, and the time they spend with them is a true happiness. By observing the dogs, Vilija says she sees how happy they are to have a relationship with the person, and they don’t care about the luxury or the brand, or what those around them will think. Therefore, there is something to be learned from them.

Ethnological and bohemian motives at home.

“Clearly, in a style like the one we live in, probably few could live. I would say this in ethnobohemian style, in addition to a large number of handmade items here, and interior details can be found in flea markets, second-hand clothing stores, we update other items ourselves. We try to use all the elements a second, third and more than once. For example, the wall and decorative buckets were glued to tile fragments that we found in the trash.

We only buy old furniture, and when we leave it, we restore it again, as if we were moving it. We try to be complete minimalists, we do not watch television and we do not listen to the radio, we do not want to be in society, although it is not easy, so that we do not lose information, it is something natural. . I admit that Facebook very often involves me in its traps. It is true that I also have feminine weaknesses: I adore porcelain plates, they are incredibly beautiful to me.

Our team is such that Saugirdas needs functionality, because he only sees beauty in nature, and I also need aesthetics, that is why each of us works to achieve our goal. Many things are born fast, expressive, improvised, because I discover very quickly how things can be, how to look. The man restores and I decorate – it is our tandem (Serie).

What are my dreams? For people to consume less, be more in nature, to get rid of those vanity fairs, culture should be on a completely different level. We need to go deeper into the spiritual world and be more sustainable, remember the crafts that our mothers and grandmothers made, I think we will gradually get to that. The changes that are happening in the world will only encourage us more to turn to nature and get rid of our addictions ”, believes Vilija.