Irma Lescinskaite

Description of Creative Steps

In the paintings, it is attempted to include into the modern art turnover a part of heritage created in Lithuania: to try to use abstract painting means to actualize and bring new meaning to baroque painting heritage of the Great Lithuanian Principality, creating on the basis of this heritage, a modern – installed painting with video projection, musical composition – a cycle of canvases. The concept and importance of the exhibition. Culture’s living and continuity are conditioned by tradition. What distinguishes modern cultural tradition from the earlier one is that it is reflective, that is, based on conscious and directed interpretation of earlier cultural heritage. This way of adopting heritage prevails in all areas of modern culture, including art. In principle, this can be said about painting as well. One of the most important and so far only partially solved tasks of the present Lithuanian culture is the necessity to adopt and actualize the heritage of the Great Lithuanian Principality in a creative way. Due to historical reasons associated, first of all, with a necessity to keep national identity, the reception of this heritage that has long been understood as “non-Lithuanian” and therefore “foreign”, was difficult and slow. Yet, as the country restored its independence, there have been some significant positive changes. It is baroque art that may be named as one of the sources of creative inspiration. This is not only because baroque, judging from the point of view of the history of art, is one of the stages on the way of development that lead to modern and abstract art. As we know, baroque is a special period of development of culture and art in the Great Lithuanian Principality – the real top of its growth and blossom. Taking into consideration links of baroque and modern art and the necessity to include into the modern art turnover all the artistic heritage created in Lithuania, we can understand the main idea – to try, using abstract painting means to actualize and bring new meaning to baroque painting heritage of the Great Lithuanian Principality creating a modern, although based on this heritage, cycle of paintings. Creation of this cycle of paintings was also inspired by XVII c. frescos of Lithuanian churches with dominating expressively painted marble imitations, details of architecture and nature creating unclear combinations. The works based on old heritage attempt to actualize and revive principles of old regional art. The canvases are painted on the principle of dialectical opposites. Transfer of abstraction from baroque-like festive colour expression to two-dimensional canvas plane with graphic pattern. Within the framework of paintings, the following techniques have been used: drawing, oil, spray, marker, etc. A DVD format video projection animates graphic works drawn with a marker. Drawings (like chandeliers) move on frescos by video projection on a certain part of a colour painting making groups of lively moving fragments of the drawing. The impression of movement is created and felt only on a deliberately lighted part of the painting where a filmed material connected in its story with the separate details of the paintings would be shown by video projectors. The video projection image and music (Linas Rimsa) are fully synchronized, the combination of both is grounded on certain common composition structures (fractals, notes, video elements, etc.) in time. The sound allows to reveal in time plastic layers of painting, to open visual fields. In the installation, the sound becomes not only a musical, but rather an architectural, physical, often almost a symbolic unit. Since the images exist only as long as they are shown, they follow each other in a certain order, forms acquire sound images, the spectator is presented with colourful manipulations and composition means potential. In my works, I search for various combinations of artistic expression forms. In 2013 an artistic project-classical music concert (pianist Viktoras Paukstelis) and paintings with video scenography took place in the Klaipeda Concert Hall. In 2014, an exhibition of photography (Remigijus Treigys) and paintings was organized at the Art Gallery of the Šiauliai University.

Degree(s) and College(s)

From 2016 studies (PhD) in the field of education of social sciences at Klaipedos universitety.
2004-2007 Vilnius Academy of Art, Licensee of Arts Degree, Lithuania.
1992-1998 Vilnius Academy of Art, Master painting, Lithuania.
2001 – member of Lithuanian Union of Artists (status of a creator was granted).
1996 – Studies of painting at Salzburg Summer Arts Academy (teachers – Nancy Spero and Leon Golub, USA), Austria.

2019 – scholarship provided by Klaipeda City Municipality.
2018 – scholarship provided by KKKC (Klaipeda, Lithuania) and SIM-The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists, SIM Residency, Reykjavik, Iceland.
2009, 2016, 2018 – scholarship provided by Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.
2006 – scholarship for residency at Kunstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop (StiftungKulturfonds), Germany.
1996 – scholarship by J. Soros.

Creative activities

Has been participating in exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad since 1990. Supervisor of international
artistic projects. Held 32 personal exhibitions in Lithuanian galleries, participated in 114 joint painting
exhibitions, artistic projects in Lithuania, Austria, Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark,
Poland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, NY - USA, Latvia.

Academic activities

Assistant professor of Department of Fine Arts of Klaipeda University.
Deputy Chairperson of Immovable Cultural Heritage Evaluation Committee of Palanga city municipality,
member of the committee.

Methodological instructive works

Instruction book, methodological aid Irma Lescinskaite “Relations between the XX c. Abstract Expressionism
and Baroque Painting”, 2001. Publishing house of Vilnius Academy of Arts, 66 p., ISBN 978-609-447-013-4.
Instruction book, methodological aid Irma Lescinskaite “XX c. Abstraction in Lithuanian Painting
of the 7-9th Decades”, 2010. Printing House of Klaipeda University, 73 p., ISBN 978-9955-18-485-0, second edition.

Personal Exhibitions

2023: Personal exhibition of paintings "Painting", Užupis Art Incubator, Vilnius.
2021: Solo exhibition of paintings, installations, objects "Images of Shadows of Reality", Lithuanian Artists' Union Gallery, Vilnius.
2020: Personal exhibition "Micro-worlds: Abstract Images"/(“Painting, Modern
Technologies II, Instalations, Objects”), KCCC Exhibition Hall, Klaipeda.
2019: Personal exhibition of paintings/ Abstract of miniatures/The History Museum of Lithuania Minor, Klaipeda.
2019: Personal exhibition of paintings/ Abstract of miniatures/ P. Domsaitis gallery, Klaipeda.
2018: Personal exhibition of paintings /Compozition I, II, III, IV/, “il Rivellino Leonardo Da Vinci “Art gallery, Locarno, Switzerland.
2018: Personal exhibition of paintings /Layers – Schichten/ Alexianer St. Hedwig Kliniken/ Berlin,
Germany.
2017: Personal exhibition of paintings/ Tapyba, siuolaikines technologijos II/ (“Painting, Modern
Technologies II”), KCCC Exhibition Hall, Klaipeda.
2017: Representation of Lithuanian in the World EXPO exhibition, exposition – personal painting
exhibition “Tapyba-siuolaikines technologijos” (“Painting-Modern Technologies”) in the Lithuanian
Pavilion, Astana, Kazakhstan.
2017: Representation of the cultural capital of Klaipeda during cultural events in Kaunas city –
personal exhibition “Tapyba, siuolaikines technologijos I” (“Painting, Modern Technologies
I”), “Meno Forma” gallery Kaunas.
2013: Personal exhibition of paintings “Autonomy of the creative space II”, Exhibition Hall, Klaipeda.
2012: Personal exhibition of paintings “Autonomy of the creative space I”, Pamenkalnio gallery, Vilnius.
2012: Personal exhibition of paintings “Six Intentions”, Klaipėda Culture Communication Centre.
2009-2010: Personal exhibition of paintings + video projection “Continual Production of Images”, Klaipeda Culture Communication Centre, Klaipeda.
2008: Personal exhibition of paintings “Continual Production of Images”, “ArtLab” gallery, Klaipeda.
2008: Personal exhibition of paintings, Painting Mixed Media, “Art house”, Kaunas.
2007: Personal exhibition of paintings “Tattoo Abstraction”, “Artima” gallery, Vilnius.
2007: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Intro” gallery, Vilnius.
2007: Personal exhibition of paintings “Century talking – tattoo abstraction”, Klaipeda Art Exhibition Palace.
2007: Personal exhibition of paintings, Communication History Museum, Kaunas.
2007: Personal exhibition of paintings “Abstraction XX”, “Gallery XX” gallery, Panevezys.
2006: Personal exhibition of paintings “Century talking”, “Studio” gallery, Institute of Art, Kaunas.
2006: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Art house” gallery, Kaunas.
2006: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2006: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Golden cut” gallery, Business Leader Centre, Kaunas.
2005: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Akademija” gallery, Vilnius.
2005: Personal exhibition of paintings “Tattoo abstraction”, National Youth Theatre, Vilnius.
2004: Personal exhibition of paintings, “Rotunda” gallery, Vilnius.
2000: Personal exhibition of paintings, Kaunas Art Institute.
1999: Personal exhibition of paintings, Kaunas State Philharmonic Society.
1999: Personal exhibition of paintings, Higher Folk Crafts School of Dalia and Zigmas Kalesinskai, Vilkija, Kaunas.
1998: Personal exhibition of paintings, Alytus Theatre Gallery.
1990: Personal exhibition of paintings, Alytus.

Exhibitions Participated

2022 "Contacts in 4D Reality" exhibition of paintings, LDS Gallery, Kaunas.
2022 "Letters to Jonas Mekas from Klaipėda FLUXUS", interdisciplinary art event, Klaipėda.
2022 Art Compensa International Art Fair, Vilnius.
2022 EXPO2020, Lithuanian Pavilion, project manager of the art project presented by the LNB, Dubai, UAE.
2021 Lithuanian Days 2021, Exhibition of paintings "COHERENCIES" "Il Rivellino" LDV Gallery, Event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Switzerland and the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Switzerland, Locarno, Switzerland.
2021 13th International Biennale of Contemporary Art OSTRALES 021, Dresden, Germany.
2020 Poestate 2020 Festival of Culture, Art, interdisciplinary project, Ticino, Switzerland, (awarded the main prize of the Poestate Festival).
2019-group exhibition /Venire per Avere, Come to Have/ Contemporary art museum, „Arcos“, Benevento, Italy.
2019 - group exhibition/ Venire per Avere, Come to Have/ Archaeological museum “Di Nola”, Neapol, Italy.
2019 - group exhibition/ Horizon/ installation, objects, drawings, paintings, video/ Exhibition Hall, Klaipeda.
2018 – group exhibition/ Objects/ SIM Residency, Reykjavik, Iceland.
2018 – group contemporary art /10 Jours EN LITUANE” Locarno film festival/il Rivellino Leonardo Da Vinci Art gallery, Locarno, Switzerland.
2017 – group painting exhibition /Kaleidoscope of the Mind/ “Agora” gallery, USA, New York.
2017 – painting exhibition/Tradiciju ir pokyciu karta/ (“Generation of Traditions and Changes”)/ Exhibition Hall, Klaipeda.
2016 – XVI International Vilnius Painting Triennial /Nomadiški vaizdai/ (“Nomadic Images”), Painting Gallery, Kaunas.
2016 – KU art project /Artistic Interpretations of Archaeological Findings in the Old Town of Klaipeda/ Klaipeda.
2016 – art project /Galeriju dienos/ (“Gallery Days”), joint exhibition of paintings and modern technologies in the KCCC, Klaipeda.
2016 – exhibition of painting and modern technologies, lecture given by a designer Xiao Yong during the presentation of the Chinese Cultural Day in the Klaipeda University.
2016 Akmene city/ forum of cultural development / Išjudinkime akmenis (“Let’s shift the stones”)/ curator of the art.
2016 Art project/ “Sviesu festivalis” (“Festival of Lights”)/ Klaipeda.
2015 Art project/Gallery day/ Culture Communication centre, Klaipeda.
2015 Author of illustrations, creation of 21 illustrations for a book R. Rimsa „Pludrumas“, printing “Juodos avys” ISBN 978-609-95494-1-5.
2014 Strong Materiality/painting and photography/Šiauliai University gallery.
2014: Joint exhibition of paintings, “Sky 21 Terrace”, Klaipėda Hotel, Klaipėda.
2014: Siauliai University gallery “Strong Materiality”, painting (Irma Lescinskaite) and photography (Remigijus Treigys), Siauliai.
2012: Art Project “Ringing Colours”, painting (Irma Lescinskaite) and classical music (Victor Paukstelis) installation, Concert Hall, Klaipeda.
2012: International Art Project: Incident 2-Accident, Museum In Czestochowa, Poland.
2012: International “Billboard” Festival of Paintings, Viborg, Denmark.
2012: Exhibition of paintings “Forgotten Art”, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2011: Exhibition of paintings “About Them”, Vilnius Town Hall, Vilnius.
2011: Joint exhibition “Behind the White Curtain”, Lithuanian Pavilion at 54th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy.
2011: KU, VAA students’ exhibition “Jungtis”, Exhibition Hall, Klaipėda (curator of the exhibition).
2010: author of the KU educational sailing ship “Brabander“ emblem, (work in material G.Jonkus) bronze, oak.
2010: Joint artists‘ exhibition of paintings, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2010: Joint artists‘ exhibition of paintings “State of Anxiety”, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2010: Joint exhibition, Lithuanian-Polish Project “Contemporary Painting PostEvolution”, Klaipėda Exhibition, Hall, Lithuania.
2009: Exhibition of paintings “Lithuanian Fine Arts dedicated to the Millennium Anniversary of Lithuania“, City Hall, Kreuzburg, Germany.
2009: “Art Park” Lithuanian Artists’ Exhibition “70: Painting, Graphics, Sculpturing” Vice Versa Art Linz – Vilnius 2009 part II. Gallery of Linz, Austria.
2009: Joint Audiovisual Project “Sublimation”, Klaipeda Exhibition Hall.
2009: Exhibition Millennium, dedicated to the commemoration of Lithuanian name in written records, Exhibition
Centre of Contemporary Art Kunstpakhuset, Ikasto, Denmark.
2009: Joint exhibition of paintings, “Rutu” gallery, Klaipeda.
2009: Art Exhibition of Lithuanian Artists‘ Association members – Vilnius City Municipality (painting,
graphics), G. Petkevicaites-Bites library in Panevezys , “Galerija XX”, Panevezys, Utena Town Culture Centre art gallery.
2008: Exhibition of paintings (participants – artists of Kaunas city) “Kaunas on the side of painting”, “Meno parkas” gallery, Kaunas.
2008: International Art Project “Dimension 08” Klaipeda, Lithuania-Visbi, Gotland County, Sweden (curator of the project).
2008: Exhibition “The Five”, Pamenkalnio gallery, Vilnius.
2008: Exhibition of drawing and graphics, Szczecin, Gdansk, Poland (exposed in the tall ship “Brabander”.
2008: Exhibition of paintings, Artists’ Association gallery “Art Gallery Santa Teresa”, Fano, Italy.
2008: Exhibition of paintings “Abstraction: two sides of painting and reality”, Klaipeda Exhibition Hall.
2008: Exhibition of paintings “Cats”, “XX Century” gallery, Gallery of Lithuanian Artists’ Association, Panevezys.
2008: Exhibition of Paintings, Gallery of Artists’ Association LR Cultural Attache Office, Warsaw, Poland.
2008: Exhibition of paintings, Artists’ Union Gallery, Riga, Latvia.
2007: Presentation of Lithuanian Contemporary Art “Drawings Here and There”, Lvov, Ukraine. (Lithuanian Embassy in Ukraine).
2007: International Art Exhibition “4x=?” (teachers of higher schools), Museum of Contemporary Art, Radom, Poland.
2007: Exhibition of drawings “Langen Nacht der Kunst”, Kunstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop, Germany.
2007: Art Project “Monologue”, Centre of Contemporary Art, Vilnius.
2007: Art Project “Sound, Motion and Music Composition‘, Sea feast, Klaipeda (curator of the project).
2007: International Art Project “Bees – art space”, Klaipeda.
2007: Exhibition of paintings of Lithuanian Artists, Historical Fine Arts Museum, Kaliningrad, Russia.
2007: Travelling Exhibition of Paintings, organized by the Lithuanian Artists Association, Helsinki, Finland.
2007: Symposium “Raigardas”, Exhibition of paintings, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2007: International Painting Symposium “Panevezys 2007” dedicated to A.Narusevicius, “Gallery XX” gallery,Panevezys.
2006: International Painting Exhibition “3+4 Young Art of Three Countries”, Art Museum in Ystad, Sweden.
2006: Art Project “Occupation”, in the spaces of Kaunas city.
2006: Kunstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop (Stiftung Kulturfonds): catalogue of paintings published (500 copies), scholarship and artists’ residency granted. International Art Exhibition “3+4, Young Art of Three” Countries in Neues Kunsthaus
Gallery and Kunsthaus Lukas Gallery, Ahrenshoop, Germany.
2006: Joint exhibition of paintings “Gratulatio Vilnae”, “Arka”gallery, Vilnius.
2006: International painting symposium “Raigardas”, dedicated to A.Vaitkunas, Druskininkai.
2006: International painting symposium “Panevezys 2006” dedicated to A.Narusevicius, “Gallery XX” gallery, Panevezys.
2006: Exhibition of paintings “Vilnius City FIesta 2006“, “Arka” gallery, Vilnius.
2005: Group exhibition of paintings “Barter exchange”, “Artima” gallery, Vilnius.
2005: Joint exhibition of paintings, “A.Savicko gallery”, Nida, Palanga.
2005: Joint exhibition of paintings “Reality X Abstraction”, Vilnius “Intro” gallery, Klaipėda Art Exhibition Hall, Šiauliai Art Gallery,
2005: Joint exhibition of paintings, “Kolonada” cafe, Druskininkai.
2005: Joint exhibition of paintings, “Karolina” hotel, Vilnius.
2005: International Painting Symposium “Raigardas”, Druskininkai.
2004: Exhibition of two painters “Kodas AxI”, “Art Park” gallery, Kaunas.
2004: International Symposium, painters of Exhibition in Nida, dedicated to 10th anniversary of the group
“Brücke” and to the continuation of its tradition at “Rotuse” gallery, Vilnius.
2004: XII Vilnius Painting Triennial – Seven Rules of Painting at Modern Art Centre, Vilnius.
2004: Exhibition of paintings “The Best Work of the Year”, Kaunas Picture Gallery.
2004: Exhibition of paintings of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association members “SelfPortrait”, “Arka” gallery.
2004: XI International Painting Symposium and Exhibition “Ecological Landscape” dedicated to Antanas Samuolis,
Kaunas “Menu parkas” gallery and Vilnius “Arka” gallery.
2004: Painting Symposium in Videniskes, Moletai.
2003: Exhibition of paintings “Private Territory”, Klaipėda Exhibition Hall.
2003: “Still life” Exhibition of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association members, “Arka” gallery.
2002: Exhibition of paintings of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association members “Vilnius Painting”, “Arka” gallery.
2002: “Still life” Exhibition of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association members, “Arka” gallery.
2001: Exhibition of paintings “The Best Work of the Year”, Kaunas Picture Gallery.
2000: Symposium and Exhibition, International Artists’ Project “Ecological Scenery”) Goldegg, Austria.
2000: Joint “Beremu” exhibition of paintings in Alytus Municipality, Vilnius Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kaunas “Window” gallery.
1999: Symposium and Exhibition of paintings, Lithuanian Artists “Lithuanian Art” in Bosa Gallery, Sardinia,
Italy. (curator of the exhibition together with S.Kruopis).
1999: International joint “Window” exhibition of paintings dedicated to an ecological project “Transformation” part I,
Kaunas “Window” gallery (curator of the project).
1999: International joint “Window” exhibition of paintings dedicated to an ecological project “Transformation”
part II, Higher Folk Crafts School of Dalia and Zigmas Kalesinskai, Vilkija, Kaunas (curator of the project).
1999: Joint “Window” Exhibition of paintings “Transformation”, ‘ Kaunas “Window” gallery.
1998: International Artists’ Symposium and Exhibition in Nida Exhibition Gallery.
1998: Exhibition of paintings about Nida’s landscape, Vilnius “Arka” gallery and Kaunas “Window” gallery.
1998: Nida’s painting exhibition, Vilnius “Arka” gallery and Kaunas “Window” gallery.
1997: Painting and drawing exhibition of the Vilnius Fine Arts Academy students at the Modern Art Centre in Vilnius dedicated to the 200th
anniversary of the Faculty of Painting and Drawing. Modern Art Centre, Vilnius,
1997: International European Artists’ Symposium “Face to Face”, Cernovci, Ukraine. Exhibition of paintings in Kiev, Ukraine.
1997: Exhibition of paintings dedicated to Theatre Festival of Vilnius University.
1997: Exhibition of paintings, Alternative Art Centre, Užupis 2, Vilnius.
1997: Participation in Students’ Art Days, Vilnius Art Academy.
1997: Exhibition of paintings of the Master’s degree students, “Academy” gallery, Vilnius.
1997: Italian, Austrian, German, Lithuanian artists’ group “Langas”, exhibition of paintings “Triangolo d oro” (“Gold Triangle”), Vilnius “Arka” gallery and Kaunas “Window” gallery (curator of the exhibition).
1996: Salzburg Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Austria. Exhibition of paintings, Hallein, Austria.
1994: Participation in Students’ Art Days, Šiauliai University.
1993: Participation in Students’ Art Days, Vilnius Art Academy.
1992: Alytus city artists’ exhibition of paintings in Alytus Museum of Ethnography.
1992: Participation in Students’ Art Days, Vilnius Art Academy.
1991: Joint exhibition of paintings, “Aurochs horn”, Vilnius.

Reviews

The Depth of Abstraction

When I am looking at the paintings of Irma Lescinskaite, I always raise same questions: what amount of
information may an abstract of art contain? The answer coming to my mind is infinitely much. If it is so, the
informational references of what kind do I see in them? I would answer pointing out to maybe old-fashioned,
but still my favorable principle of oppositions: references to culture and nature; to world and local art; to
social consciousness and the most intimate personal experiences; to feelings and meditative states; to cultural
phenomena belonging to past and present…Of course we can detect more such references if we wish, just
some preparation enabling to this is necessary. But even more important is the necessity to be able to catch
sight of the structures forming out of those “informational units”, which, while making their appearance in
those paintings, are at the same time extremely fascinating. In this respect I could compare the works of Irma
to some musical compositions, for example, to Philippe Glasso Music with Changing Parts…

Alfonsas Andriuskevicius - art critic

The Quest for Certainty

Irma Lescinskaite belongs to the younger generation of Lithuanian painters and she undoubtedly is one of the
most original and conceptual of its representatives. Her painting is a brilliant combination of professional
mastership and metaphysical striving. The painter is able to use in a masterly fashion all means of expression
of the pictorial art, the most important to her being color. Her paintings manifest many features of postmodern
art: irony and self-irony, free and elegant citing-play with the forms of past culture, especially those of the
baroque pictorial art. These paintings could be described as abounding in immense passion and tension
metaphysics of color, striving to bridge the gap between the visible and the invisible worlds. This
metaphysically-oriented painting is the quest for the only would-be and therefore probably unattainable
synthesis of the worldly and the otherworldly realities. Nevertheless, the hopeful tension radiating from those
paintings bears an authentic testimony to our postmodern “neither-nor” situation and the very creation of the
artist is a vivid proof that the search for Being and its meaning never ends.

Vytautas Radzvilas - philosopher