Artwork in the room
Verdenė Monika Valkiūnaitė is a Lithuanian artist whose practice encompasses scenography, drawing, and painting. She received her bachelor’s degree in scenography from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2018, later earning her master’s from the same institution in 2021. Since completing her studies, she has continually produced new works and participated in exhibitions, both at home in Lithuania and abroad.
When painting, Valkiūnaitė aims to cultivate a distinctive style and expressive approach, often drawing inspiration from her early life. Her method includes assembling scenographic components on flat surfaces and reinterpreting the responsibilities of the scenographer by placing emphasis on crafting a sensual atmosphere throughout the canvas. She adopts a spontaneous and intuitive process, frequently forgoing preliminary sketches in favor of allowing her compositions to emerge organically.
A prominent feature of her art is the use of multiple layers, which give her canvases both depth and spatial complexity. She favors vivid, luminous colors, engaging with their contrasts and relationships to infuse her paintings with energy and playfulness. In organizing her exhibitions, Valkiūnaitė invites viewers to navigate the space, encounter unexpected barriers, and immerse themselves in environments that are simultaneously novel and intimate, often populated by captivating characters.
For Valkiūnaitė, perseverance and continuous exploration are more valuable than brief moments of inspiration. Her creative process involves gathering her experiences, reevaluating them, and subsequently interpreting them through her artwork. Among her significant solo exhibitions are “Savannid” at Jakobi galerii in Tartu, Estonia (2023), “Savanna and Other Spells” at Baltasis koridorius in Vilnius, Lithuania (2023), and “Planes (after the exit of the gorillas)” exhibited at both the VAA Library and gallery AKADEMIJA in Vilnius, Lithuania (2020).
About this artwork+
In the painting, there are two lions prominently featured against a vivid, complex background. The lion on the left strides forward with a sense of purpose and grace, his body outlined in flowing, fiery strokes of yellow and orange, suggesting a mane full of movement and life. His face is turned slightly towards the viewer, with an expression conveying majesty and calm assurance. The second lion, to the right, appears more static and composed, with a frontal stance that faces directly towards the viewer. His mane, similar to the first, is depicted in bright, warm tones that shine with an almost solar radiance, contrasting starkly with the cooler, blue and violet tones of the background. Above these majestic creatures, the sky whirls in a chaotic harmony of blues, purples, and dashes of whites and yellows, suggesting a celestial body like the sun or moon. The background features a large, textured sphere, painted in tones of yellow and orange, which casts an ethereal glow that bathes the scene, enhancing the surreal quality of the setting. This illuminating orb seems to be dispersing or drawing in the flecks of light that fill the sky, connecting the heavens and the earth in a cycle of luminous energy. The ground on which the lions stand is abstract, composed of vertical strokes of blue that might represent tall grass or a reflection of the sky above, blurring the lines between the tangible and the mystical. The whole scene evokes a sense of timeless cycle and natural majesty, encapsulated within a dreamlike tableau.
