International Art Fair ArtVilnius'24, '21
International Art Fair ArtVilnius'24, '21
In 2024 AP gallery presented artists Donatas Pirštelis, Sigitas Parulskis, Tania Serket, Mindaugas Meškauskas, Gediminas Piekuras. In 2021 Donatas participated with same gallery and artist Milena Pirštelienė, Audronė Petrašiūnaitė, Tadas Tručilauskas.
AP Gallery Article From 2021
October 15–17: The Largest Contemporary Art Fair in the Eastern Region, "ArtVilnius‘21," Takes Place at the Litexpo Exhibition Center. The event marks the debut of the "AP Gallery," celebrating its 5th anniversary, along with its featured artists: filmmaker and painter Donatas Pirštelis, contemporary ceramicist Milena Pirštelienė, and Audronė Petrašiūnaitė, who was named the best Lithuanian artist in 2012 at "ArtVilnius'12" for her painting and is now showcasing her graphic art for the first time at the fair.
Three Distinct Artists United by a Common Theme
According to "AP Gallery," the idea of debuting this year prompted them to feature artists who had not been showcased at ArtVilnius before. Although the artists have distinct stylistic and technological approaches, their works reveal shared themes upon deeper examination. This year’s exhibition theme, “State of Affect. Vertigo,” unites their creations.
Both the artist duo Donatas and Milena Piršteliai and Audronė Petrašiūnaitė are celebrated figures in their respective fields. Petrašiūnaitė's linocut graphics are described as masterful and unique, previously unseen at ArtVilnius and held in collections such as MO Museum and private archives. According to gallery director Vilma Jankienė, “We selected the best works from her extensive recent collection.”
In contrast, Milena Pirštelienė, a prizewinner at numerous local and international exhibitions, produces ceramics that resemble photorealistic optical drawings on paper, despite being monumental and crafted with her fingers rather than brushes or pencils.
One of the most significant new faces in "AP Gallery" is monumental artist and painter Donatas Pirštelis, who is better known in the international film industry. He has contributed to high-profile projects such as "Catherine the Great," "Ashes in the Snow," and HBO's "Chernobyl," the latter earning him an Emmy commendation in 2020. Pirštelis returned to the art world in June after a 20-year hiatus, presenting the exhibition “Aletheia.” Works from this show are featured in "AP Gallery’s" booth (5.10).
A Symbiosis of Painting, Graphics, and Ceramics
"AP Gallery’s" booth, titled “State of Affect. Vertigo,” explores an existential and surreal perception of the world. The distorted reality depicted in the works invites intense encounters with inner experiences—fears, desires, hopes, and longing for the past or an anxious gaze toward the future. Affect distorts reality, shaking it and immersing the viewer in a dreamlike atmosphere. It awakens the subconscious, bringing forth archetypal symbols. This state can feel like flight, elation, or, at times, tragedy, depending on one's inner experiences.
The Piršteliai couple and Petrašiūnaitė share a dramatic expression of intense internal states. Milena’s works evoke melancholy and unease, a desire to escape from overpowering emotions, while Donatas’s paintings convey a transitional, explosive state of self-liberation. Petrašiūnaitė’s graphics, meanwhile, expand the emotional spectrum with a liberating, vital tone imbued with gentle sadness, nostalgia, and a fairytale-like quality.
All three artists employ minimalist forms charged with cinematic and theatrical tension, as if capturing the silence before a climactic moment. Their works feature recurring symbols such as water, earth, cosmic spaces, and levitating abstracted figures, along with significant red, black, and white lines that transform into mountains, symbols of civilization, threads of destiny, or horizons.
Unique Techniques and Mediums
"AP Gallery" artists utilize drawing-like structures on paper, cardboard, or ceramic surfaces as white as paper. Petrašiūnaitė carves static linocuts with a tool, creating strikingly fluid shapes. Milena applies black pigment powder to a white ceramic base, crafting photorealistic images by drawing with her finger before fixing them with glaze. Donatas uses mixed media, including pastels, pencils, lacquer, and various paints, to create tension between lines, colors, and space.
About the Artists
Audronė Petrašiūnaitė (b. 1954)
Petrašiūnaitė graduated in 1976 with a degree in decorative design from Kaunas S. Žukas Applied Art College and completed her painting studies in 1982 at the Lithuanian State Institute of Art. An active member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association since 1988, she has participated in numerous exhibitions and created over a thousand paintings. In recent years, she has gained recognition for her visionary graphic linocut compositions exploring themes of nature, femininity, relationships, and solitude. Her accolades include Lithuania’s highest-level artist stipend (2002) and various awards for her exhibitions.
Milena Pirštelienė (b. 1969)
A graduate of Vilnius Academy of Arts (1996), Pirštelienė is a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association and has showcased her works at many international exhibitions. Her ceramics, reminiscent of photographs, employ unique finger-drawing techniques and have earned praise for their minimalism, surreal quality, and distinct stylistic approach. In 2021, her work was included in the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, and she received a national individual artist stipend.
Donatas Pirštelis (b. 1972)
Pirštelis earned a master’s degree in monumental art from Vilnius Academy of Arts in 1997. His artistic career spans monumental murals in Poland, avant-garde films showcased in Germany, and international acclaim as a production designer. His contributions to renowned films like "Chernobyl" and "Ashes in the Snow" have established him as a leading art director. Returning to painting in 2023, Pirštelis explores Greek mythology in his series “Aletheia.”
Art critic Kamilė Pirštelytė Virbičianskė, AP gallery article for Art Vilnius'21
Photos from Art Vilnius and AP gallery organisers