Martynas Ivinskas is an artist born in Kaunas, Lithuania, and currently living and working between Vilnius and Brussels. His practice moves freely between painting, drawing, objects, collage and assemblage, deliberately resisting strict boundaries between artistic forms and media.
Ivinskas is drawn to what surrounds him: the city, people, music, architecture, everyday objects, and the constant visual noise of contemporary life. He observes his environment, breaks it down into fragments, and reconstructs it into new, sometimes absurd, sometimes playful, but always distinctly personal forms. In his work, order is constantly confronted with chaos, while reality meets imagination.
The city becomes a kind of playground in Ivinskas's practice. Musicians, instruments, buildings, human figures, signs, and fragments of everyday life overlap, repeat, and intertwine, forming complex visual networks. Rather than asking the viewer simply to "read" an artwork, Ivinskas invites them to get lost in it - to search for familiar forms, create their own associations, and discover something they may not have been looking for in the first place.
He frequently works with unconventional surfaces and materials, ranging from city maps to jute coffee sacks and everyday objects. In his practice, a painting can move beyond the canvas, a collage can become an object, and an ordinary item can acquire an entirely different life. This unrestricted relationship with materials and media is central to his creative approach.
Ivinskas's exhibitions function as works in their own right. Individual paintings, objects, and fragments are deliberately brought together into visually intense, sometimes chaotic environments. Art critic Paulius Garbačiauskas has described this approach as a "fragmented reality" - a carefully constructed chaos in which chance becomes part of the artistic method.
Ivinskas has presented solo exhibitions in Lithuania and the United States, including DUO 02/16 at Hangar Gallery in Santa Monica, 10'000 signatures at gallery Building Bridges Art Exchange in Santa Monica, Colorful Society at Bruce Lurie Gallery in Los Angeles, and …on the maps at Vilnius City Hall. His work has also been presented internationally in group exhibitions, including exhibitions at the Louvre in Paris and Times Square in New York.
Ivinskas's work is difficult to define through a single technique, medium, or stylistic vocabulary. And that is not a problem to be solved. On the contrary, the freedom to choose, combine, and experiment is one of the defining characteristics of his practice.
About this artwork+
The painting features three stylized figures with exaggerated and distinct facial features in vibrant colors. Each face is outlined in black, emphasizing their unique expressions and details. The first figure on the left has a beard and is painted with shades of brown and tan, his wide eyes directed to his side. The middle figure is depicted with a pale visage and straight-lined features, his eyes fixed forward. The third figure, to the right, has greenish hues and a hairstyle that stands up in curls or spikes, mouth open as if caught mid-speech or gasp. Their attire is a patchwork of vivid patterns and colors, including stripes, checks, and various abstract designs that suggest a chaotic cohesion. Notable is the use of primary colors like blue, red, and yellow, intersecting with blacks and whites which provide a stark contrast. The hands of the figures are prominently displayed, interacting in the central space where touches and gestures seem to connect them dynamically. Each hand is detailed, with fingers splayed or reaching towards the others, suggesting movement and interaction amidst a conversation or argument, underscored by their intense facial expressions. The background is a simple solid blue, allowing the figures and their bright, colorful garb to stand out sharply. Such visual elements might symbolize a blend of personal stories or cultural identities coming into contact, expressing themes of connection, communication, and perhaps conflict.
