The following images are a compilation of a project I shot in Lithuania which I have printed into a book titled Pink Elephant. While traveling around the nation, I was repeatedly struck by the abundance of murals in every city, regardless of how old or modern they were. I started photographing the murals because they seemed fun to show my friends back home, but then I had the chance to meet three muralists at a gallery opening and began to learn more about the culture and meaning behind these murals. This inspired me to dig even further into every mural I could find, and see just what story each one told. In total I photographed around 50 murals between three cities, and spent hours researching the meaning behind each one.
The short story of these murals is that many of them were a reaction to the limitations placed on the citizens of Lithuania while occupied by the Soviets until 1991. This colorful rebellion catches the eye of travelers and brings more life to many of the square grey buildings constructed by the Soviets. Many of the murals are also just for fun and are often placed in areas where you truly have to search to find them, such as the one depicting a hedgehog on a laptop which was hidden behind a potted plant. These murals have become so important to the nation that Kaunus, one of the largest cities in Lithuania, even commissioned three murals to honor famous Jews from the city who were killed during the Holocaust.
