In conversation: Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
In this interview, join the captivating artistic journey of Gabrielė Kuizinaitė, an international visual artist and digital photographer based in Kaunas, Lithuania. From her roots in art criticism to becoming a member of the Lithuanian Photographers Union, Kuizinaitė discusses her therapeutic abstract pictures, the philosophy behind her acclaimed collection "Cosmical Pictures," and the impactful role she plays in the global art community.
Joana Alarcão
24 de janeiro de 2024
Can you elaborate on your artistic journey and how you became the artist that you are today?
The artist that I am today I became randomly by walking in one Lithuanian suburb in the forest. Just why my pictures all have a connection with the forest. The artist I became step by step. First of all, I tried to create cosmical pictures which have a strong allusion to the forest, herbs, city, flowers and other flora.
My pictures have a strong nature philosophy. Later I started to participate in international virtual arts and photography exhibitions, and later became an international art gallery member. Since 2022, I started to give interviews about my creations for international art magazines.
Your artistic journey has encompassed various facets, from studying art criticism to delving into cultural management and eventually becoming a member of the Lithuanian Photographers Union. How has this diverse background influenced your approach to visual arts, and how do these different perspectives inform your artistic practice?
My artistic journey at the theoretical and practice level started more years ago than in 2005. When I started to communicate with famous painters and photographers. Since 2008 I have been a member of the Lithuanian Photographers Union. I started as curator of the exhibition and later I started to write critical reviews about artists creation. After my cultural management master's studies, I created virtual galleries.
Your artistic statement mentions that art, for you, is like therapy and builds different relations between two worlds. How does the process of creating abstract pictures serve as a therapeutic outlet, and what kind of relationships do you aim to establish between the viewer and your art?
Yes, in pictures is strong nature philosophy, nature signs and symbols. I mean that pictures build strong relationships between two cultures and two worlds, when I participate with my pictures in the exhibitions: it means between: Lithuania and France, Lithuania and the UK, Lithuania and Italy etc. The therapeutic process I have in mind is that the forest gives calming and relaxing effects for people and viewers.
Digital photography and experimental painting seem to be crucial mediums in your artistic expression. How do these two mediums complement each other in your creative process, and what unique aspects do each bring to your exploration of themes?
Yes, in my pictures exist digital arts: digital photography and painting. I started to do pictures from digital photography and later connected with digital painting. In my artistic expression, I like usually to create by different themes in my art. For example: „Blue forms“, „Blue forest“, „Red forest minds“, „Reflections of the times“, „Forest maps“ „Cosmical pictures“ , „Blue forms“,“Forest dreams“, „Spring winds“ and others. Also, my pictures have a connection with forests and earth and also a connection with seasons for example: summer, winter, autumn, and spring. Sometimes the seasons are mixed in my artistic expression. In my digital artistic expression is important to notice that from small objects I am getting mystical details. The themes for my creation come from the seasons of the year.
What can you tell us about the submitted collection “Cosmical Pictures”?
This year one picture from the “Cosmical pictures” series got an award diploma from one group show in Japan. In this collection, there are very important gold colours and detail effects. These compositions are very important esthetical details and contrasts. In these pictures, there are important big forms and other worlds at a cosmical level.
Your recent focus on the philosophy of nature and the natural language is evident in your abstract pictures. Can you elaborate on how these elements manifest in your artwork and what philosophical messages you aim to convey through your creations?
The philosophical message with nature should be “Nature and forest connecting peoples”. My artistic journey around forest pictures is different in different colours and forms. In Cosmical pictures, expression exists with the use of gold color. There is a very important eternal forest philosophy. Messages about forests could be very different. Especially like “Forest is like a mirror and labirint”.
Having organized more than 300 exhibitions and written over 200 articles, you have significantly contributed to the art community. How has your experience as a curator and art critic shaped your understanding of the art world, and how does it influence your role as an artist?
Since 2005, I have organized 300 exhibitions and written about 200 articles about famous artists' creations from different fields: from arts, photography and visual arts also foreign artists' creations. From Lithuanian artists, I wrote articles about professional photographers: Gintautas Skuodas, Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, Robertas Misiukonis, textile artists Marijona Sinkevičienė, Phd. Danguolė Brogienė, Birutė Sarapienė creation, about painters: Živilė Bardzilauskaitė-Bergins, Marija Rastenienė and other famous artists' creations. Also, I worked with exhibitions with similar artists' names. I organized the exhibition because I like to create communities between people and artists, in our foreign and local partners' exhibition spaces.
How do you personally define the role and significance of being an artist in the broader context of creativity, expression, and societal impact?
To be a connection between my and an artist's creation on social levels it’s not easy. I am trying to be a positive person when I organise other artists' exhibitions.
In your opinion, how can art contribute to raising awareness and being a positive driving force in the current contemporary atmosphere?
All the time when I am organizing and creating projects trying to be positive, but in the contemporary field is not easy to be. Also with contemporary projects, I started to collaborate in the UK and Tbilisi in recent years.
What message or call to action would you like to leave our readers with?
My wish is not to stop being interested in art, because the relationship of each of us with works of art is exceptional and gives us all the joy of discovery.
Go have a look at the artist's website for more information.
Cover Image:
Cosmical pictures by Gabrielė Kuizinaitė. Image courtesy of Gabrielė Kuizinaitė
International visual artist and digital photographer Gabrielė Kuizinaitė lives and works in Kaunas, Lithuania. In 2003 she finished Vytautas Magnus University, Institute of Arts, and obtained a bachelor's degree in art criticism. Since then she started to work as a curator in the photography field. She started to organise famous professional photographers' exhibitions and wrote articles about photo art exhibitions. From 2005 to 2007 she studied for a master's degree at Vilnius Academy of Arts, at UNESCO Cathedra she studied cultural management and administration studies. After these studies, she created a digital international art gallery in Lithuania. Later she obtain knowledge in internet e-shop and design qualification. During her artistic practice, she wrote 200 articles and organized around 300 Lithuanian and foreign artists' exhibitions in Lithuania and foreign partner spaces. She organized 5 personal exhibitions and participated in 100 international exhibitions of art and photo in Italy, Paris, Jordan, the UK, Hungary, India, Greece, and Iran. In the magazine, she presents pictures from the collection “Cosmical pictures” created at the start of 2023 years.
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