CHICAGO — “The One Who Rises: New Work” is a solo exhibition featuring works on paper, wood, and sculpture by Chicago-based artist Kaitlin Kostus. The exhibition was on display from March 2 to April 26, 2012 at Woman Made Gallery’s Milwaukee Avenue location.
Kaitlin Kostus presents a body of work that draws on Baltic Pagan mythology to explore her connections to Baltic cultures through her ethnic background (Lithuanian), and her culture gained through marriage (Latvian). Stories, symbols, and deities from these Baltic countries are re-interpreted through her contemporary viewpoint. Artificial neon colors collide with images of nature, while real deer antlers do so with semi-natural materials like industrial wood and jute twine.
Kostus received her BFA in painting from the University of Illinois-Chicago and is presently a thesis candidate in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago. Her master’s work focuses on the tensions between Eastern European ethnic identity and nostalgia for moments that never existed. Her work has been shown previously at ARC Gallery Chicago, Woman Made Gallery, and at the 1st Printmaking Triennial of ULUS in Belgrade, Serbia. Her publications are featured in the libraries of the University of Chicago and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, as well as on the Chicago Publishes blog.
