Artwork in the room
Vytautas Žirgulis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, on November 4, 1962. His education is remarkably varied: he began by specializing in music at J. Naujalis Art School in 1980, then studied event directing at Klaipėda Conservatory, where he graduated in 1984. In 1992, he earned his degree from Vilnius Academy of Arts, specializing in painting, which firmly established his presence in the Lithuanian art world. Since 1995, he has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists' Association.
Žirgulis has maintained an active career, participating in numerous group exhibitions and plein air events both within Lithuania and internationally. He has staged 18 solo exhibitions to date, each reflecting the breadth and progression of his artistry. Based in Vilnius, he not only creates but also teaches drawing, painting, and composition at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art. His artistic work spans both easel and wall painting.
Žirgulis characterizes his painting style as magical realism, drawing upon themes from daily life and infusing common subjects with significant depth. He places particular value on authenticity, people, and real events in his creative process, explaining that narrative and the ideas beneath it are central to his practice. The artist favors oil paints for their depth and for allowing detailed work with nuances, soft edges, and layers made possible by their slow drying. His pieces often feature literary references, which are apparent not only in the subject matter but also inform his selection of color, use of light, and arrangement of each composition.
Art critic Ignas Kazakevičius observes that Žirgulis’s symbolism is primarily anthropomorphic, conveying emotions and psychological states through subtly rendered, mysterious faces. Kazakevičius points out the dreamlike nature of Žirgulis’s motifs, describing the way his intimate figures shift into fantastical chimaeras set within vibrant blue spaces. In the critic’s view, Žirgulis’s painting technique is just as crucial as his literary themes and symbols, as it invites viewers into enduring and resonant encounters with his forms.
About this artwork+
The painting captures a mesmerizing forest scene during a thaw, with a masterful blending of cool and subtle warm tones. The foreground is dominated by remnants of snow that sporadically cover the ground, melting into the dark, damp earth beneath. Skeletal trees, their bare branches etching into the sky, stand prominently throughout the composition. These trees are rendered with thin, textured lines of white and dark tones that mimic the rough surfaces of bark. In the distance, patches of fog or mist seem to weave through the trees, adding a sense of depth and mystery to the scene. The background is a wash of blues and grays, lightly interspersed with hints of warmer colors, suggesting either the setting sun or perhaps remnants of autumnal foliage. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet transition, capturing the fleeting moment when winter starts to give way to the earliest touches of spring, yet the chill of the former season still lingers in the air and in the icy remnants on the ground.
