The enduring conflict in Ukraine has deeply impacted the hearts and minds of people worldwide. Artists have risen to the occasion, transforming their grief, outrage, and hope into powerful pronouncements. In lithuania, sculptor Arvydas Gaubas has poured his emotions into a stark and thought-provoking sculpture that serves as a poignant reminder of the war’s devastating consequences.

Gaubas, at the conflict’s outset, embarked on a journey to capture its essence in a sculptural form. In 2022, he created a preliminary sketch, quickly sharing it on Facebook, believing the war woudl be a fleeting ordeal.

“At that time, I thought the war would end soon. But when I saw that nothing had changed in three years, I decided at Christmas that I had to finish my job by the third anniversary of the war,” Gaubas explains, reflecting on his evolving purpose.

Committed to creating a piece that would resonate universally, Gaubas deliberately opted for a primitive aesthetic. He employed simple language and readily recognizable symbols to ensure the message transcended cultural barriers.

“The helmet symbolizes Putin’s stay in the bunker, he is tattooed with the symbols of Russian war crimes. His ears are very small to show that he does not hear anything and his eyes are small because he does not see anything.It is indeed where he is not needed,” gaubas describes, revealing the layers of meaning embedded in the sculpture’s details.

Gaubas’s intent was not merely to depict a physical figure but to encapsulate the emotional and political weight of the conflict.

The response to the sculpture, according to Gaubas, has been overwhelmingly positive. He now plans to undertake a journey, bringing the sculpture to various cities across lithuania to engage diverse audiences and ultimately find a permanent home for it, ensuring its message continues to echo throughout the nation.