Painter Indrė Morkūnė-Makelytė's path between pedagogy and painting

Painter Indrė Morkūnė  - Makelytė’s path between pedagogy and painting Indrė Morkūnė -Makelytė, a young generation painter and art educologist, was born in Kėdainiai, lives and works in Kaunas, Lithuania. In 2019, she studied at Kaunas College, Faculty of Arts and Education, and graduated from the non-formal education program “Painting”. In 2021-2022, she completed professional painting courses at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas branch, Department of Art, Design and Architecture. As a member of the painters’ groups “Mėlynas menas” and “Indigo art”, the author has been actively participating in exhibitions since 2017, in collective art exhibitions, in all Lithuanian cities and art institutions, and in gallery spaces. Art education in Indrė’s life has always been closely related to human cognition. Working with children and youth encouraged her to seek non-traditional educational methods that allow her to reveal individual abilities. It is here that art has become a natural tool – a means to talk about emotions, identity, environment and values. Both education and painting in the author’s work complement each other.Creative activity for Indrė is not separate from the teaching process. On the contrary – art becomes a continuation of pedagogy. Through visual solutions, creative workshops or artistic projects, she creates a space for dialogue, where the painter and participant become equal. This form of education encourages not to passively accept information, but to interpret, rethink and apply it.Indrė Morkūnė - Makelytė’s experience shows that a creator can be a teacher, and an educator an artist. These two identities do not compete in her work, but complement each other. Educational prosess provides structure, responsibility and direction, and art – freedom, sensitivity and the ability to see more broadly.This path between pedagogy and art becomes a meaningful response to the challenges of modern education. Indrė's work proves that creativity in education is not a luxury - it is a necessity that helps to develop a conscious, open and thinking person.The work of painter and art teacher Indrė Morkūnė - Makelytė is currently associated with realistic and abstract painting styles. The following themes are particularly relevant in the author's work: existential and philosophical questions. Memory, natural themes, interpretations of symbols are most revealed in artistic compositions. Sometimes architectural and natural details are included in artistic compositions. The work of painter Indrė Morkūnė - Makelytė is diverse in both stylistic and thematic diversity. Art criticGabrielė Kuizinaitė