Artwork in the room
Algirdas Zibalis, born in 1960 in Šiauliai, Lithuania, is currently employed as a teacher. His deep connection to his homeland profoundly shapes his artistic perspective, which remains closely intertwined with the Lithuanian landscape and its nuanced seasonal transformations. Both his professional path and ongoing contribution to art education reveal Zibalis’s strong commitment to his craft.
Zibalis began his artistic training at the Faculty of Arts at the Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute, which today operates as the Faculty of Arts of Šiauliai University. There, he developed the fundamental knowledge and skills essential to his career in art, and took his initial steps as an independent creator. The academic setting played a significant role in refining both his technical skills and artistic worldview.
He is particularly celebrated for his expertise in watercolour, especially in landscapes. Zibalis’s works express emotional interpretations of well-known scenes—silhouetted trees against the sky, soft hills, and the play of wind. His transparent hues and dynamic brushstrokes vividly portray the rhythms of Lithuanian nature, elevating commonplace subjects into energetic, poetic artworks. Water frequently serves as his main inspiration, and he often investigates its ever-changing moods and appearances, considering nature itself to be his most important source of creativity.
Over the course of his career, Algirdas Zibalis has staged over 25 solo exhibitions in Lithuania, including in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and additional cities. Beyond Lithuania, his work has appeared in renowned exhibitions in Italy, Finland, and France, where he has been recognized for his achievements in watercolour. His pieces have been included in events such as the “Esde” exhibitions in Sardinia, the International Watercolour Exhibition IWS in Helsinki, and the Pyrenees Watercolour Competition in France. In 2021, he received a diploma for high excellence at the latter event and was ranked among the 30 leading artists in 2023. Zibalis is a member of both the Lithuanian Artists' Union and the Lithuanian Folk Artists' Union, and in 2011, he was officially granted the title of art creator.
About this artwork+
The painting depicts a group of five horses galloping energetically towards the viewer. Each horse exhibits a unique blend of colors and expressions. From left to right, the first horse is gray with a dark mane, its ears pricked forward, showing alertness. Next to it, a brown horse with a lighter mane appears, its eyes wide open and a slightly opened mouth suggesting vigorous movement. Alongside, there is another gray horse, similar in shade to the first, but its mane and tail seem to be flowing more dramatically with its stride. Following this are two more horses, one brown with a darker face and the other gray. They are all dynamically positioned, embodying the painting's title, "Fast Like a Wind." Their manes and tails are artistically rendered to capture the swift motion against a softly blended background of green and earthy tones, mimicking a forest edge under a gentle, cloudy sky. The composition creates a vivid scene full of life and movement.
