According to J. Kyzikaitė, many fairy tales begin with the phrase “Once upon a time there lived a grandmother and a grandfather, and they had a hen and a rooster…” But the phrase “once upon a time” is much more important, a reference to the temporary nature of that one time that they lived.
“The “once upon a time” is repeated in yet another fairy tale, or in listening to the same fairy tale over and over again, and this repetition hides the whole point – that once upon a time is the life of a certain person. We tend to hide behind commonalities and thus dehumanize and hide our own transience. I want to return to the essence of the fairy tale – that once upon a time,” says J. Kyzikaitė about the idea of the exhibition.
Kyzikaitė’s painting may at first glance be somewhat embellished, playful, and illustrative (at times it may even resemble fairy tale illustrations), but through such a form, the artist is able to reveal the very gloomy issues of the day. The images shown on media channels eventually become unmoving, and the constant depiction and repetition of social problems, tragedies, and war lose their “once-upon-a-time” impact. Therefore, many new “once-upon-a-times” are needed to keep the focus.
“The painting happened “once upon a time” – it is not repeated, but the audience takes away the “once upon a time” each personally. I want to follow my own stories, which are created in response to events, the environment, and societal issues. Why a fairy tale? What is the closest thing to a fairy tale, if not painting?”, said J. Kyzikaitė.
Jolanta Kyzikaitė is a Doctor of Arts and her work has been presented in more than 100 joint exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. In 2010, Jolanta Kyzikaitė won the 1st prize in the competition Young Painter’s Prize. Meno Niša Gallery has been working with Kyzikaite for almost 15 years, during which time the painter has been presented at art fairs in Vilnius, Budapest, Cologne, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Vienna, and Basel. Kyzikaitė’s works have been acquired by the MO Museum, the Noewe Foundation, the Walter Bischoff Gallery in Germany, and private collectors.
According to art critic Sonata Baliuckaitė, Kyzikate’s work cannot be confused with anyone else’s; her individual style was formed at the beginning of her studies. Large format, graphic drawing, stylized human figures, masks. “She works in cycles, and when you analyze each of her series of paintings, it seems to touch on the social and political issues of the time. However, if you look back at her work of a decade earlier, you will see that these are simply common and eternal issues that were important to the artist herself at the time, as well as to every person who is sensitive to his or her environment,” said S. Baliuckaitė, an art critic and gallery curator.
The exhibition is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture
The sponsor of Vilnius City Gallery Meno Niša is Vilnius City Municipality.
