Stasys Eidrigevičius’ Exhibition “Traveling Imagination” Comes to Klaipėda

On Friday, May 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m., the Klaipėda Cultural Communication Center (KKKC) Exhibition Hall (Didžioji Vandens St. 2, Klaipėda) will open the exhibition of Stasys Eidrigevičius’ book illustrations titled Traveling Imagination.

The exhibition presents a selection from Eidrigevičius’ collection of book illustrations, which the artist donated to the Stasys Museum of modern art in Panevėžys. Featured works include illustrations created for Vytautė Žilinskaitė’s book Journey to Tandadrika (1984), José Murillo’s My Friend the Little Owl (1986), and Rita Repšienė’s Fairy Tales of Laumės (2008). The exhibition is curated by Lina Albrikienė, with exhibition architecture designed by Dalius Baliukevičius. The exhibition will be on display until July 7.

According to curator Lina Albrikienė, “the exhibition architecture of this traveling show is unique. A house-like structure made from bright ‘Stasys-like’ colors and neon lights invites the viewer to not only discover Eidrigevičius’ art but also his colorful personality.” The architecture was designed by Dalius Baliukevičius.

The exhibition reveals a fantastical and unusual world of illustrations: “a rainbow woven from bodies; birds tied by their wings; a cat, a stick, and a tail catching a frightened snake; a rabbit losing its right ear to a tear in the canvas; a flower’s stamen pressing down on a miniature puppy; scissors cutting a pale face; a child wrapped in a ribbon; babies entangled in a laumė’s hair; a masked figure biting a spindle; a frog tightly holding onto an escaping rainbow…” Curator L. Albrikienė notes that, “none of Eidrigevičius’ characters presented in the exhibition can exist as separate or isolated entities. They only ‘work’ when intertwined with other works or objects. Both the characters and various items merge into an inseparable, unified organism. Perhaps the artist is reflecting on the ecosystem of nature and humans, that unbreakable chain? The objects and creatures support each other. The intertwined imagery in the drawings reflects inseparable friendship, dependency, and suffering, which is depicted through themes of restriction, compression, and binding.”

According to Albrikienė, “the motif of constraint is very important in Eidrigevičius’ work. He reflects on his childhood, spent in rural isolation, away from society, culture, and children’s ‘real’ entertainment, as well as life under socialist oppression. However, the exhibition title Traveling Imagination allows the viewer to break free from the constraints depicted in the illustrations. It enables us to embark on our own journey of imagination, crossing all possible boundaries where mythological and anthropomorphic creatures exist. The word ‘journey’ also alludes to biographical aspects of Eidrigevičius’ life, as the artist lived in various locations across Lithuania before emigrating to Warsaw in 1980, where he still resides today.”

Of course, without the book authors, these illustrations might not exist. If you’ve read any of the books illustrated by Eidrigevičius, you’ve probably noticed that the artist doesn’t depict what we read literally. According to Eidrigevičius, before creating illustrations, he always discusses with the authors, who, like V. Žilinskaitė, would open up an even broader field for his imagination instead of restricting it.”

The Traveling Imagination exhibition by Stasys Eidrigevičius, funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Panevėžys City Municipality, is coming to KKKC from the Stasys Museum of modern art in Panevėžys (opened May 31, 2024).

KKKC Exhibition Hall (Didžioji Vandens St. 2, Klaipėda) hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (closed on public holidays). During the exhibition opening, photography and filming will take place. Please be aware that participants may appear in event photos and videos published in various media outlets.

For more information about the exhibition:

Keliaujanti vaizduotė