Stasys

With more than 100 solo exhibitions in various countries, Stasys opens up the world of his thoughts, experiences, wanderings, and ideas in paintings and graphic works, posters, book illustrations, masks, and one-of-a-kind smudges or Lithuanian sadnesses.
His drawings have been published by The New York Times and other world-renowned publications and magazines, and he has been invited to participate in international art juries and share his experience with students.
Stasys' original plays "The White Stag" and "The Wooden Man" were staged at the Studio Theatre in Warsaw, and he played himself in the film "Bouzkashi" by French film director Jacques Debs. Creativity spills over into the artist's original texts - essays, travel descriptions, or notebooks, where alongside a sketch of a drawing there are phrases that describe the world in a surprisingly apt way. In 2016, Stasys published a poem "Giedanti gaidžio galva" (The Singing Rooster's Head), written in the dialect language, as an anthem to his homeland and his childhood years. The poem, written in dialect, was awarded the Dionysius Poška Prize and recognized as the most creative book of 2016.
Stasys Edrigevičius was born on 24 July 1949 in the village of Mediniškės, Panevėžys county. In 1964-1968 he studied at the Kaunas Stepas Žukas Applied Art Technical School. In 1968-1973 he studied graphic art and painting at the State Art Institute (now Vilnius Academy of Arts). Stasys' teachers were painting legends Jonas Švažas, Rimtautas Gibavičius, and Algirdas Petrulis.
Stasys' work has received more than 40 international awards worldwide: the Grand Prix at the International Book Illustration Competition in Barcelona (1986), the Golden Hugo at the International Poster Festival in Chicago (1987), the Grand Prix at the First International Illustration Biennial in Belgrade (1990). Gold Medal of the Society of Illustrators in New York and the Grand Prix of the Salon des Posters in Paris (1993), Gold Medal of the 4th International Poster Triennial in Toyama, Japan (1994), and the Polish Poster Biennial in Katowice (1999), and many more.
Stasys and Japan share a special bond. For many years he has worked with Japanese artist Hiroko Mori. In 1993, she founded a small, private museum, the Hiroko Mori Stasys Museum, in Otaru, Hokkaido. It exhibits the works of the art friends.
In 2019, Stasys was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, in 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and in 2001 he was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Art. In 2000 he was awarded the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. Since 1980 the artist has been living and working in Warsaw, Poland.

Where does Stasys begin?
With a white piece of paper. From a pencil. From a dot on a canvas. When Stasys is working, he feels neither cold nor heat, forgetting that time exists. It is as if God were sending him an invisible force, while the artist's hands orchestrate the colors and shapes. "It's often difficult to explain what comes out of all this," he says.
He has been participating in art exhibitions since 1969. His paintings, and graphic works - bookplates, posters, miniatures, book illustrations, photographs, art performances, actions, installations, sculptures, unique masks, and so-called sadnesses have been exhibited in Lithuania, Poland, Japan, Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United States of America, and many other countries. Stasys' works are held in Lithuanian and Polish museums, the British Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Library in Washington, D.C., the Vatican Museums, the Tokyo Creation Gallery, and private collections.
The largest collection of Stasys' works - more than 1000 works - is housed and preserved in the artist's birthplace in Panevėžys, STASYS MUSEUM.
"I don't draw a clear line between creative fields. My experiences in bookplates have influenced illustrations and posters, which have influenced paintings, and paintings have influenced posters. It all goes around in circles, but the most important thing for me is that I can express my thoughts in my work," is how he describes the unity of his work.
By choosing the path of metaphors, the artist translates them into different means of expression. On a piece of paper, a notebook, a canvas, a page of a book, a stage, an empty museum hall, a poem, a book, or a magazine page. But at the center of it all is the human being. His many faces and masks.
Stasys is the only one. He has a special, distinctive creative style, an artistic expression that is unique to him alone. He conveys the grotesque, absurd, and paradoxical nature of man and the world, and at the same time, a great love for the everyday moment.
Stasys collection
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Stone face / Akmeninis veidas1981, paper/ popierius, 18,5x15
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Roof / Stogas1981, paper/ popierius, 20,7x14,3
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Legs up / Aukstyn kojom1982, paper/ popierius, 20x16,5
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A cold bird / Sušalęs paukštis1981, paper/ popierius, 26x19,5
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Bow / Uogos1981, paper/ popierius, 19,3x14,6
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Bicycle / Dviratis1984, paper/ popierius, 21x13,5
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Dogma
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Fidelite
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Influance
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Intention
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Limpid
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Temps
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Moment
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Reflection
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Sciana ciszy
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Statek
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Wieza
Articles
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The exhibition "Travelling imagination" in DruskininkaiThis year, the "Stasys Museum" mobile exhibition begins its journey in Lithuania's cultural capital – Druskininkai. From February 7 to April 2.Read more
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Stasys Museum’s debut at the Contemporary Art Biennale in FranceFrom November 7–16, Stasys Eidrigevičius' solo exhibition "Lines" will be showcased at the contemporary art space La BF 15 in Lyon, France. Presented during the 17th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art, the exhibition, alongside the theater festival Contre-Sens, explores themes of empowered identity and global neighborhood. These themes not only highlight Lithuania's cultural season in France but also reflect the international artistic bridges being built by Stasys Museum.Read more
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Stasys Museum will present Traveling Imagination in Vilnius for the first timeOn October 4–6, the exhibition "Traveling Imagination" featuring Stasys Eidrigevičius' book illustrations will be showcased in the project area of the contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’24. This marks the first time the mobile Stasys Museum exhibition will be displayed in Vilnius.Read more
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Unexpected Challenges for Contemporary Artists: Why Stasys Eidrigevičius’ Exhibition in Japan Was Stopped Due to 5 kg of SoilThere are various situations where artists, creators, or travelers encounter unexpected restrictions on what can and cannot be brought into foreign countries. However, sometimes these situations can lead to rather curious incidents, especially when it comes to contemporary art. One such story involved the renowned Lithuanian artist Stasys Eidrigevičius.Read more
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Stasys Eidrigevičius congratulates Panevėžys on its 521st birthdayBest wishes from Stasys Eidrigevičius on the occasion of Panevėžys' 521st birthday!Read more
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World-renowned artist Stasys Eidrigevičius celebrates his 75th anniversary in PanevėžysOne of Lithuania's most renowned contemporary artists, Stasys Eidrigevičius, known for experimenting with new techniques and ideas, celebrates his 75th birthday in Panevėžys at the museum named after him, "Stasys Museum." The versatile artist, who resides in Warsaw, was congratulated on his jubilee by Panevėžys Mayor Rytis Račkauskas. The mayor wished the painter, graphic artist, poster creator, illustrator, installation artist, director, and Lithuanian National Prize laureate continued creative success and good health.Read more
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Stasys Eidrigevičius’ Exhibition “Traveling Imagination” Comes to KlaipėdaThe exhibition showcases part of S. Eidrigevičius' collection of book illustrations, which the artist donated to the modern art museum "Stasys Museum" in Panevėžys. The displayed works include illustrations created for Vytautė Žilinskaitė's book Journey to Tandadrika (1984), Chose Murilja's My Friend the Little Owl (1986), and Rita Repšienė's Fairy Tales of the Laumės (2008). The exhibition is curated by Lina Albrikienė, with Dalius Baliukevičius as the exhibition architect. The exhibition will be open to visitors until July 7.Read more
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Exhibition of Posters was opened in Poltava (Ukraine)On March 27, in honor of International Theatre Day, an exhibition of artist Stasys Eidrigevičius' theatre posters will open at the N. Gogol Theatre in Poltava, Ukraine. The exhibition was initiated by the Lithuanian Cultural Attaché in Ukraine and is being organized in collaboration with the Lithuanian Culture Institute, Stasys Museum, the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Poltava Regional State Administration, and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Lithuania in the Poltava region.Read more
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A next-generation museum for the next-generation visitorA small introduction to a big museum at the 24th Vilnius Book Fair, where the opening date for the Stasys Museum was announced: May 31 of this year! The discussion features Stasys Museum director Vaida Andrijauskaitė, director of Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library, Greta Kėvelaitienė, and public figure Dovilė Filmanavičiūtė. The conversation is moderated by Rytis Zemkauskas.Read more
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Stasys Museum’s debut at the Contemporary Art Biennale in FranceOn 7-16 November of this year in France, the contemporary art space La BF 15 in the city of Lyon will present the author’s exhibition “Lines” by Stasys Eidrigevičius. The exhibition presented during the 17th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art together with the theater festival Contre-Sens makes sense of the themes of empowered identity and global neighborhood, which reflect not only Lithuania’s season in France, but also the international art bridges being built by the Stasys Museum.Read more
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Artist Stasys Eidrigevičius - all about laughing until you fall and the sports club under the workshop"One student wrote that there is a lack of happy people in Panevėžys..."Read more
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"ArtVilnius'23". Discussion "STASYS MUSEUM phenomenon: a new museum for Lithuania"Discussion on the significance of the museum for the country, region, and city. The views on the content and form of Stasys Museum will be discussed, as well as the origin of the name and brand will be revealed.Read more