On 11 January, Meno Niša Gallery opened Irma Balakauskaitė’s exhibition “States”, showcasing the latest works of this artist created in her unique graphic technique. Prior to the debut in Lithuania, the works presented in Vilnius had already been exhibited in the Netherlands (Groningen) and Poland (Warsaw). This exposition consists of artworks reflecting various cycles of creative work of the artist.
All works exhibited in “States” are dedicated to the problem of contemplating the relationship between the man and the environment. According to Balakauskaitė, she has been trying to express her relationship to reality by visualising it in her works and to contemplate the inner states (spiritual/emotional) evolving at the interface of this confrontation.
“I create narratives within the frame of the selected symbolic system which reflect my worldview, represent the feeling of the surrounding environment and manifest in a maximally simplified form. I use the created “mythological reality”, which is laid out as sceneries in a 2D format, in an effort to discover/remember myself by observing the world I have created”, says Irma Balakauskaitė.
Irma Balakauskaitė (born in the Ukraine in 1968) completed the studies of painting at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 1995 and the same year presented her first solo exhibition. Irma Balakauskaitė is primarily a graphic artist, but also a painter, a sculptor and a creator of mechanical theatre objects. It was already during her study years when she and Vytautas Pakalnis founded an experimental puppet theatre called by the founders themselves “a mechanical theatre”. Irma Balakauskaitė has held more than 10 solo exhibitions; her works have been presented in Russia, Spain, France, Argentina, Norway, etc. The artist has created stage designs and decorations for more than ten theatre performances.
The exhibition “States” by Irma Balakauskaitė is open at the Meno Niša Gallery (J. Basanavičiaus str. 1/13, Vilnius) from 11 January to 2 February. The official opening is on 11 January at 6 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday – Friday 12 noon to 6 p.m., Saturday 12 noon to 4 p.m.
The exhibition is co-funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.
