Ray Bartkus was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. After graduating from Vilnius Art Academy as a printmaker, he began creating lithographs, etchings and pencil drawings, which he exhibited in numerous shows in Lithuania, Poland, Germany, USA, Canada, among other countries. He also designed the 50 litas bill, which was in the circulation in Lithuania until 2015.

Seeking to expand his creative vision, Ray has begun devoting greater efforts to his own art projects, which include digital art, installations, oil paintings and drawings. In the past decade, Ray has hosted successful personal shows in Vienna (Austria), Warsaw (Poland), Geneva (Switzerland), Wroclaw (Poland), Kiev (Ukraine), Vilnius (Lithuania), Salzburg (Austria), Philadelphia (USA) and New York City, exhibiting entirely new collections of works in each of them.

Ray has also involved himself in organizing collaborations between indie and avant-garde musicians and artists. He has helped create the Independent Drawing Gig, a gathering of international artists and musicians. He also organizes and curates MaLonNY, a yearly gathering of artists, musicians and designers from New York City and London in Marijampole, Lithuania. In addition, he is a yearly participant at the Salzburg Forum, which is organized by International Peace Institute and attended by luminaries from the fields of politics, media and business.