Nikita Dulerain

Lives and works in Lithuania

Artist statement

Painting is the language through which Nikita Dulerain (b. 2003, Vilnius) makes himself heard. Living with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autistic traits, he faces limits in speech and writing, yet on canvas he finds complete freedom. Colour, gesture, and texture become his most direct form of communication — tactile, emotional, and uncompromisingly authentic. Nikita began painting in 2019 and quickly turned art into his primary voice. His practice moves fluidly between abstraction and figuration, drawing on archetypal imagery, memory, and intuitive play. Viewers often describe entering his works as stepping into a space where vulnerability transforms into strength, and where boundaries between inner and outer worlds dissolve. After a pause in public exhibitions due to family health circumstances, Nikita continued to paint prolifically in his studio. These recent years have brought a large body of new, yet-unseen works that now expand his visual language and mark the next chapter of his artistic journey. Positioned within the lineage of Art Brut and Outsider Art, Nikita’s paintings resist quick interpretation. They demand slow looking, offering emotion first and meaning later. In this way, his art is not an answer but an encounter — with resilience, fragility, and the transformative force of imagination. As Nikita cannot write or speak in professional contexts, this statement is provided by his representative and legal guardian, Jekaterina Dulerain.

Artwork