Creative Conversations #1: Ara Radvilė

Ara Radvilė – a visual artist based in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We recently sat down with visual artist Radvilė Ara to explore her journey from rejecting "sweet" beauty in art to celebrating it as a form of gentle rebellion- and how that philosophy dovetails with the ethos of slow living and the natural elegance of linen. Here's a closer look at her thoughts, ritual, and why a simple piece of fabric can feel like a kindred spirit in creativity.

Beauty as Resistance

"Art must first and foremost be impactful," Radvilė told us. "I used to dismiss beauty in art as too accommodating, but today, I welcome that naïve, childlike charm as a soft defiance against the world's noise." She sees flowers as decorative motifs and symbols of quiet rebellion. In her studio, dried petals and blossoms become companions-silent witnesses to each brushstroke or pencil line.

 

A Studio That Breathes

Radvilė describes her studio as a "hidden sanctuary," where rough-hewn stones and shells sit alongside her own sketches, lending the space an earthy stillness. "It's important to me that my creative space has room for physical and internal movement," she says. "My studio needs clear boundaries, yet it must breathe so that I can dive deep into thought." That very interplay of structure and openness draws her to linen. Its soft folds and airy texture embody the same mindful slowness and freedom she nurtures in every line she draws.

Daily Questions and Rituals 

Every morning, she asks herself a single question:
 "Is this real?" 
Before a new painting, she lights a candle and sits with a blank sheet of linen canvas or crisp paper. "I let the empty surface speak first," she explains "I wait until I catch a hint of what it wants to become." This patient listening rather than forcing an idea underscores the careful, unhurried nature of both slow living and linen production.

 

Slow Living in Linen 

When we asked Radvilė to define "slow living," she said, "It's when you step out of your thoughts and finally see what's happening around you when breathing becomes conscious instead of automatic." That intention carries straight into the garments she chooses. Wrapped in linen's gentle drape and natural texture, she's reminded to stay present: to feel each fold, welcome every breeze, and find calm in the everyday. In that way, linen isn't just a fabric-it's a wearable practice in mindful slowness.

 

Shop the look: MOLLY shirt in White and TOKYO pants in Matcha Green

Final Thought

Ara Radvilė's work reminds us that beauty needn't be loud to be powerful. It can be a whispered act of resistance-whether it's in the soft undulations of linen or the delicate curve of a sketched figure. Please slow down, listen to the blank surface, and let your story emerge in its own time.

See more of Ara Radvilė’s work 

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