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+
The painting features an enigmatic and vibrant scene dominated by a large, textured moon glowing in hues of gold, orange, and cream at the upper left corner, casting an intense light across the canvas. Below, the background is filled with dense, vertical brushstrokes in varying shades of deep blues, creating a rich, tactile field. Prominently, there is a black, surreal balloon-like figure floating in this seascape of blue, visually connected to the moon by their stark color contrasts. Scattered throughout the foreground are figures of foxes, painted in a ghostly palette of light pink and blue, giving them an ethereal and almost translucent appearance. These foxes are in various states of movement, some poised as if caught mid-leap, while others crouch, adding a dynamic and lively element to the scene. Their forms blend slightly with the vibrant background, suggesting motion and a certain mystical quality. Dark, ink-like spots are intermittently splashed across the canvas, creating a sense of depth and perhaps symbolizing the randomness and chaos of the natural world. The painting pulses with a primal energy, framed by the mystery and wildness of the nocturnal landscape.
