In her ongoing project Etnokosmologija, Latvian-born artist Maija Briede-Adomavičienė explores the profound dialogue between the ancient Baltic worldview and the modern understanding of the universe. This body of work emerges from years of research into Baltic ethnographic symbols, sacred signs once used to express harmony between human life, nature, and celestial order.
The project began as a natural evolution of the artist’s long-standing fascination with space and cosmic landscapes. Her earlier series depicted planetary surfaces and solar phenomena through a scientific lens, inspired by astronomical photography and real planetary data. In Etnokosmologija, this scientific precision meets the metaphysical depth of Baltic symbology. Each canvas becomes a layered synthesis of astronomy and heritage, where painted celestial bodies are overlaid with ancient signs once believed to hold protective, spiritual, or cosmic power.
Through these visual compositions, Briede-Adomavičienė invites viewers to perceive the universe not only as a vast physical space but also as a living archive of human memory. The paintings form a bridge between the rational and the sacred, the cosmic and the cultural, echoing the eternal rhythm that unites science, mythology, and art.
At the heart of the project lie eight large-scale works created in 2025 under the Klaipėda City Municipality’s cultural scholarship for ethnocultural art:
The Sun
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
A radiant interpretation of solar energy, where ancient Baltic sun symbols merge with modern cosmic vision. The painting reflects duality and renewal, the eternal pulse of life flowing through light.
The Morning Star
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
Inspired by Venus, long revered in Baltic tradition as the herald of dawn. The artwork radiates warmth and balance, symbolizing love, transition, and the light that bridges night and day.
The Moon
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
A contemplative work exploring lunar cycles and their influence on human emotion and time. Ethnographic symbols intertwine with silver-toned surfaces, evoking the mystery of night and reflection.
The Earth
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
This piece celebrates the living planet as seen through the ancient cosmological eye. Textures and geometric signs reveal Earth as both cradle and crossroads of energy, rhythm, and form.
The Milky Way
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
A luminous vision of the galactic river that guided ancient travelers and storytellers. The painting bridges folklore and astronomy, transforming celestial pathways into shimmering lines of memory.
The Universe
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
An expansive exploration of cosmic order, where Baltic sacred geometry meets the infinite unknown. The work invites contemplation of scale, harmony, and our place within the boundless continuum.
Binary Light
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
The concept of duality, light and shadow, life and void, becomes a cosmic dialogue. Two radiant bodies orbit each other, embodying the rhythm of creation and the timeless symmetry of balance.
Stars, Constellations and Planets
Acrylic and powder pigments on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, 2025
A synthesis of celestial motion and symbolic heritage. Constellations emerge from ancient signs, transforming myth into modern cosmography, a map of interwoven worlds.
Each piece embodies a distinct celestial theme interpreted through Baltic symbolism: solar rosettes radiating fertility and balance, lunar crescents marking time and renewal, Perkūnas’ fire-cross channeling cosmic energy, and sacred patterns woven into the very fabric of the painted universe.
The project’s conceptual foundation reflects the artist’s personal philosophy, that the celestial and the terrestrial are inseparable. It is both a meditation on origin and a testament to continuity, revealing that the language of symbols and the movement of stars share the same rhythm.
Etnokosmologija is not merely a series of paintings; it is a cultural reflection, a rediscovery of ancestral codes that once guided human understanding of the world. Through her art, Briede-Adomavičienė reawakens that dialogue, showing how ancient wisdom and cosmic exploration together form the timeless geometry of existence.
Funded by the Klaipėda City Municipality Cultural Scholarship for Ethnocultural Art (2025).
