SOLO EXHIBITION
SOLO EXHIBITION
SOLO EXHIBITION
The World's Leading Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
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The World's Leading Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
Nikita
Dulerain
LITHUANIA
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“It has been a long and arduous journey for me to adapt to this world.”
Nikita Dulerain was born on 14th June 2004 in Vilnius, Lithuania. His life story was seemingly determined by medical diagnoses - cerebral palsy, epilepsy, minor learning disability, and autistic traits. The prognosis was very serious – doctors claimed he would be unable to walk, speak, or even hold a pen, thus leaving him unable to write, draw, or do many other basic things that most other children could.
The ocean is in fire. Dedicated to people of Australia.
He struggled to learn things like breathing, swallowing, using cutlery, recognizing human emotions, differentiating cold from hot, and good from evil. However, God gave Nikita a surplus of patience and determination. When he was learning to walk, he fell down with every step. But every single time, he got up and kept walking. When he learned to speak – he started to motivate himself – “keep trying, work harder, you can do it!” It is as if despite learning many words, Nikita forgot to learn the word “impossible.”
Unity is power - stronger together.
With the support of his family and many years of rehabilitation, Nikita became able to do much more than walk and talk. He can do many things which seemed inconceivable in the beginning. There is a widespread belief that if a child with many disabilities doesn’t learn something by the age of 7, it’s strongly unlikely that they ever will. But this is not true.
"I am completely devoid of fear because I know for certain that my mum and younger brother are always there for me."
When Nikita was 11, he said goodbye to his wheelchair forever. When he was 12, he learned to swim. At 13, he could read (now he speaks and reads in two languages). At 17 he could finally heat up his own food and bring his plate to the dinner table.
"I spent a long time learning to express my emotions. For many years, I would just scream a lot and frequently. I desperately needed routine and rules; a clear understanding of exactly what would happen in the near future."
Nikita rode a horse, swam with dolphins, went into crypts and underground tunnels, flew on a hot air balloon, went camping, and climbed to the peaks of mountains. In all his baby pictures, Nikita is always smiling, and it isn’t obvious from them that he is a child with special needs, standing up on his own in some photographs without any support. But always, behind the camera stands his little brother, ready to give him a hand for support at any moment. This is very important - to know there’s someone an arm’s length away who won’t let you fall.
There is no bottom or boundaries. There are both storms and calmness, all within you.
"In Eastern Europe, social integration for children with special needs is very poor. An environment of accessibility is nothing but a dream in many countries. But despite this, my family did everything possible so that I could live a normal life full of happiness and fulfillment."
The past of the future. Birth of life.
If you jumbled up the words in his favorite story, he could cry for several days. If his hands got covered in paint or ink, he would become horrified. But through hard work and perseverance, it became possible to overcome this.
People grow five thousand roses in one garden...yet they don't find what they're looking for... And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince).
When Nikita grew up, he started to wonder why his younger brother was always involved in afterschool clubs and activities, whilst he only attended medical procedures. So, his mother started to look for something suitable. Something, where he could express himself, and do something on his own. This was very important, as he really wanted to be independent in something. He was refused the chance to swim, with the justification for the refusal being that his condition would preclude him from practicing even with the paralympic swimming team.
Do not lose hope and you will find your oasis.
The next option was music – Nikita turned out to have a great ear, and an amazing teacher was found who was prepared to take on a pupil with many serious disabilities. For some time, Nikita was absolutely overjoyed, but then the teacher left the country and Nikita was once again left with nothing to do.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Day and night. Light and darkness.
"Within my mind, there are no limitations, and therefore I can simply spill emotions onto the canvas."
Somewhere, there is a place, where your prayers are heard. And sometimes answered...
(Neytiri, Avatar)
But then, it was suggested for Nikita to start drawing – a teacher was found who wished to work with him. And so, a boy who had poor use of his hands received paint and a brush, and then a miracle happened - he could finally express the unique world contained within him. He now uses colors to intertwine fears and desires, passions and aspirations, illusion and reality. In his paintings, everyone sees something deep contained within the soul. Someone sees a fairy, someone sees a demon, someone – a lake, someone – a blue giant. His art bears resemblance to early Mozart, in that they are both complex and simple at the same time.
When I used to read fairy tails, I fancied that kind of thing never happened.
And now here I am in the middle of one!
(Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll)
His paintings absorb, one wishes to see them over and over, and each time discovers something new. The catharsis of color and incredible energy leave no one indifferent to them. After all, that which is created pure and from the heart will be received in the same heartfelt fashion by the viewer.
Everyone has light and darkness, angels and demons. The soul keeps and protects us from evil and destruction. What to choose is up to us...