Wood product creator Donatas: finally, I am working without any inner resistance
The importance of nature in the life of young Kaunas resident Donatas Šopis, and his self-awareness as part of it, has gradually integrated into his work. Currently, he creates furniture and interior accents, using fallen trees from emergency felling, as well as glass and concrete waste. Donatas says that organic natural forms are particularly revealed in contrasts, and having them in the home or workspace even helps people be more themselves.
– How did you start creating your products, which use minimally processed wood parts? How did you come to this particular creative expression?
– I am not an expert in furniture or interior design, nor have I studied it anywhere, but I have always liked to combine things that seem incompatible. For example, I don’t know how to precisely smooth or mill wood, but I’ve found people who are great at doing that, and I connect with them.
About six years ago, I participated in a competition in Kaunas, where we had to design a restaurant interior. I created my first tables, using pieces of tree trunks. Although I didn’t win the competition, I really liked the products and their idea.
Later, my friend, who owned a wellness center in Spain, invited me to join her in the activities of a healthier food restaurant. While working there, I met someone who had an exhibition at a gallery. I offered them my handmade furniture and interior accents, which soon ended up on display. So, these products came about organically. I never had a rational goal to engage in their production, nor did I study the market or find a niche I wanted to occupy. Everything grew out of a feeling.
Why exactly these products? Like myself, my works are constantly changing. However, they always contain nature and authenticity. In my work, I really enjoy combining nature’s organic forms with stricter, “neater” forms and materials like glass and concrete, revealing beauty through contrast. I think my work is a visual reflection of who I am. When you truly understand and recognize what is authentic to you and are not afraid to accept it, there is no tension. And when there is no tension, the results you want emerge.
– Sustainability and ecology are important topics for you, and this is directly visible in your works. How did these things become important to you? Where do you get materials for your works?
– Sustainability and ecology are almost a consequence of everything I do. I have always been a nature person. I remember as a child, my grandparents, sister, cousin, and I would go to the forests of Dzūkija, where we would spend three months in tents during the summer. Perhaps from there comes the understanding that we are part of nature and must respect it.
In Kaunas, I have connected with a few arborists and companies that deal with removing fallen trees. We keep in touch. I go to special yards where cut trees are piled up and pick the pieces that will otherwise be used for biomass fuel. I’ve noticed that it’s much easier for big companies to operate out of inertia – cut, transport, and grind trees – rather than think about what else could be done with these materials, whether it’s wood, concrete, or glass. At first, many people found it strange that I wanted to take these scraps for myself, but now it no longer surprises anyone.
Recently, I brought concrete waste to my workshop, which I will use for a new series of works. And while taking my dog to the groomer, I saw some stacked tiles ready for removal. After asking, I took them. My colleague, who came to the workshop, was surprised that I kept picking up what he considered junk, as these items seemed worthless. People often think that if things are scattered or thrown away, they are worthless, but if they’re expensive, they must be valuable. But that’s not the case.
– You say that your current activity came to you very organically, based on a feeling. Have you always made decisions about what you want to do in life so easily?
– Definitely not. There was a time when I tried to meet societal norms. But during that time, I felt a lot of inner conflict, as if I were running away from myself.
Since my father worked in the automotive maintenance sector, I tried to realize myself in that field. It brought me financial benefits, but I strongly felt it was not my path. When I told my father that I wanted to pursue making interior accents and furniture, he didn’t approve of it and argued that this activity wouldn’t provide enough financial return. This actually motivated me even more to continue what I was doing and prove that it could become a source of livelihood.
Over time, I’ve realized that it’s very important to understand the context in which you end up – whether it inspires you or diminishes you. I clearly felt this when I visited a neuroaesthetic exhibition last year organized by the “Amres Art” gallery. Afterward, I felt encouraged and uplifted. I realized that when a person’s thoughts, words, and actions align, they can experience their full energy and potential, which elevates anything they do to a completely different level.
– I imagine your home contains many of the things you’ve created. How do these pieces affect you?
– In my home, about 80% of the items are my creations. Every time I come home, I feel like I’m in my cozy, warm fortress where I can completely relax and be myself.
I think it’s because, when creating my works, I am in a state of complete flow, with no resistance.
– What conditions do you need to avoid feeling resistance and to be able to immerse yourself in the flow state?
– Movement and sports are very important to me: I run in the forest, swim in the river. It relaxes my mind, strengthens my body, and I feel how I become more sensitive to my surroundings and to myself.