From the cycle “I Have Met A Human”: Česlovas
This photographic series was created between 2021 and 2024 on Rusnė Island. It tells the story of poet Česlovas Rutė, a solitary man whose everyday life is shaped by the landscape of the Nemunas Delta, seasonal floods, and the slow rhythm of rural life. During the day, Česlovas takes on various jobs, working on farms or construction sites, while dedicating his free time to writing. His poetry emerges from everyday experiences, observations of nature, and moments of inner stillness. He writes his poems on his mobile phone and sends them to people like personal letters.
The photographer met Česlovas while visiting Rusnė Island to photograph the floods and staying there for several days. They first met in Česlovas’s small cabin in Uostadvaris, which he himself referred to as a shed. That evening, the nearby Atmata River was carrying drifting ice – the slow movement of the ice and the muffled sounds of it cracking could be heard outside. This encounter marked the beginning of a longer photographic journey.