“Swim here, swim here, little boy; I will give you a white shirt and a red ribbon!”

The jacquard woven piece, woven by Kristina Austi.
Materials: Wool, polyester.
Size: 156(W)x300(H)cm
Year of production: 2024

This work takes inspiration from a Lithuanian tale about a small boy, Lukosiukas:
There once was a man with a son named Lukosiukas. Fearing that witches, known to steal children, might take his son, the man crafted a small boat, set Lukosiukas afloat on the lake, and instructed him to approach the shore only when he heard a specific call:

‘Come ashore, Lukosiukas,
I’ll give you a white shirt
And a red ribbon!’

Every day, Lukosiukas’s mother called him this way, bringing him food, and he would briefly come ashore before floating back out. However, a witch overheard the mother’s call and tried to imitate it. But her voice was rougher, so Lukosiukas knew it wasn’t his mother.

The witch repeatedly went to the blacksmith, altering herself to match Lukosiukas’s responses—cutting off a hand, then a leg, even losing an eye—until finally, Lukosiukas said, ‘My mother has no head.’ The foolish witch rushed to the blacksmith, demanding he remove her head, which led to her demise.

Relieved, Lukosiukas’s parents brought him home, and he grew up safely and happily.

The artwork was exhibited at Galleri SOFT in Olso, Norway, and at Palanga Resort Museum in Lithuania in 2024.