On 8 February, 5 p. m., Meno Niša gallery opens an exhibition of one of the most colourful painters of the young generation, Paulius Šliaupa, titled “Regardless of Delusion”, which is a part of exhibition cycle “The Space of Art for Young Artists”.

Paulius Šliaupa actively works and surprises with his distinctive experiments in painting expressions. He makes photographs, draws in dry-erase crayons, and creates videos. Although actively participating in art fairs abroad and receiving international acknowledgements, Paulius Šliaupa spent almost two years working on his exhibition “Regardless of Delusion” which will be presented exclusively for his Lithuanian audience. The exhibition is composed of the author’s latest pieces of painting, as well as of his videos works and objects.

“To introduce the initial stage of creation of an artwork and show the process of its ‘crystallisation’, a video capturing urban and natural images and showing the conversion of a real image to abstraction will be demonstrated at the exhibition. While taking pictures and making videos, Paulius Šliaupa captures the environment and magnifies it up to an abstract image, which is then conveyed applying thick and textured layers of oils. At the exhibition, we are going to reveal even more stages of creation process. For this purpose, a part of the artist’s studio will be moved to the gallery together with some objects that are important in the creation process, but usually vanish until the artwork reaches its final stage”, intrigues the curator of the exhibition, Sonata Baliuckaitė.

Those who always ask what is depicted in abstract paintings will get answers in Paulius Šliaupa’s exhibition “Regardless of Delusion”, because they will discover the methods of “seeing” suggested by the artist himself; others will be able to create the story themselves or simply enjoy the paintings.

“Each abstract artwork by Paulus Šliaupa disguises a certain story or a narrative. Yet, some stories are described by the artist in a consistent and specific manner, while other works are often left untitled, as if suggesting that there is no objective seeing of an artwork. Objective can only be a particular viewer-observer”, says the curator of the exhibition, Sonata Baliuckaitė.

Paulius Šliaupa (born in 1990) is currently taking Master’s studies at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. In 2015, a solo exhibition of Paulius Šliaupa was showcased at the Meno Niša Gallery and International Art Fair ArtVilnius. Then there were numerous presentations at international art fairs in Paris, Budapest, Cologne, and Berlin where Šliaupa’s canvass and wood paintings won a myriad of positive evaluations. His paintings are already popular among German and French art collectors who have bought dozens of Paulius’ canvasses. Last year, the painting “A Grey Day” was successfully sold in an auction held by Rotary Club of Berlin, while the director of Position Berlin, out of all artworks exhibited at the art fair, bought namely Šliaupas’ “The Rituals of Light”. This year, the artist again is getting ready for participation in art fair in Berlin and Paris.

“Regardless of Delusion” by Paulius Šliaupa is open at the Meno Niša Gallery (J. Basanavičiaus str. 1/13, Vilnius) from 9 February to 4 March 2017. Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 12 noon – 6 p.m., Saturday 12 noon – 4 p.m.

The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.