By Rita Mikučionytė
I believe the acronym TARP, chosen by the organisers of last year’s ceramic art biennial, is a thoughtful and forward-looking decision. It reflects both the multi-layered nature of the event and the inevitable creative diversity brought by its forty-four participants. Naturally, I cannot fully address all twelve key concepts proposed by the ARKA Gallery and the Section of Ceramic Artists of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LAA) – where the ceramist Agnė Šemberaitė serves as the indispensable organiser, and Milena Pirštelienė is credited with the architectural solutions – while interpreting the meaning behind the abbreviation and encouraging participants to join the exhibition. Instead, I have selected four guiding themes: tradition, craft, connection, and experience, which I will aim to relate to the works of the laureates of the 8th Vilnius Ceramic Art Biennial.
In my opinion, two exhibitions accompanying the biennial are the most intriguing, framing the entire journey through the ARKA Gallery. These are the solo exhibition Broken and Shattered by Dalia Laučkaitė-Jakimavičienė, the laureate of the main Liudvikas Strolis Award at the 7th Vilnius Ceramic Art Biennial (Al)chemy, and the exhibition Waiting for the Beast by Dainis Pundurs, an invited guest from Latvia. For me, the presentations of these two artists have become the cornerstones of this 8th biennial, around which the works of other ceramists and the final projects of the students of the Department of Ceramics at Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) naturally blend in. The experience begins with the delicate aesthetics of porcelain vessels and the documentation of ceramic shards, and culminates in the rhythm of massive clay bowls and imagined rituals.
Dalia Laučkaitė-Jakimavičienė’s exhibition Broken and Shattered, consisting of seemingly familiar creative elements from the artist’s previous works, feels both intimate and comforting, while also unpredictable, even disquieting. On the one hand, her porcelain vessels (mainly plates and cups), adorned with her unique decals, captivate with their flawless craftsmanship in layered collage techniques. This time, the artist’s distinct porcelain décor, featuring well-known fragments of historical paintings and natural motifs (with a particularly prominent recurring image of a moth) is strikingly “laden” with representations of broken, fragmented ceramics.
On the other hand, the landscapes of these vibrant plates are enhanced not only by the author’s own vessel shards but also by authentic fragments of ancient, oriental, 16th-18th century dishes, tiles, figurines from flea markets, and pieces from a porcelain factory’s waste pit. It is fascinating to trace Laučkaitė-Jakimavičienė’s references, identifying items from China, Turkey, Poland, Königsberg, a cellar in Pilies Street in Vilnius, or Professor Juozas Adomonis’s collection.
In a single shard of ceramics, one can discern fragments of human lives and uncover the history of a country. That is why I find myself circling the exhibition, returning again and again to the images and porcelain figurines that linger in my mind. I begin to juxtapose the present with the past, recalling the shards kept in my own personal time capsule. The remnants of former opulence, preserved in strange configurations, allure with their bold ornamentation and gilded edges, yet their sharp corners wound the memory.
I reflect not only on what is fading away both around and within us, but also on the artist’s raw confessions of transforming shards into miniatures. Her words prompt me to think about the daily rules we impose on ourselves and the curious joy found in their inherent absurdity.
Before stepping into the heart of the biennial exhibition, I am greeted by the scents of the essential elements of ceramics – earth, fire, and water – presented by the store “Visokių daiktų krautuvėlė.” This playful introduction serves as an engaging prelude to the group exhibition. As the biennial is a well-attended, popular event, it should be appreciated primarily for its cognitive and educational value, offering insight into the possibilities of contemporary ceramic forms and techniques.
I believe that the trends prevalent at the 8th Vilnius Ceramic Art Biennial are partly reflected in the awards – three prizes and five diplomas – bestowed by the selection committee, chaired by the art historian Dr Evelina Januškaitė. The committee members include the art historian Dr Jurgita Ludavičienė, the artist Dalia Laučkaitė-Jakimavičienė, and the Latvian artists Dainis Pundurs and Valentins Pejtko.
The works honoured by the committee not only reflect the values of a group of professionals but also serve as key indicators of the dominant artistic and stylistic directions in contemporary Lithuanian ceramics. This year, the prestigious Liudvikas Strolis Award has been granted to Audrius Janušonis for his piece Secession, which showcases unexpected formal connections, distinctive energy in its plasticity, and striking contrasts in colour and texture.
Attention to surrealistic formal combinations, sculpted shapes, and vibrant glazes is also evident in the works of many other ceramists.
When exploring transitional connections, it becomes clear that some artists develop variations of natural and organic forms, emphasising ecological aspects (Rasa Justaitė-Gecevičienė, awarded a diploma for her work Weeding Toxic Plants is Mandatory), and the parallels between living and non-living organisms and structures (Nora Blaževičiūtė, Aistė Jurga Krasauskaitė, Rima Leipuvienė). Others reflect on the harmony between man and nature, as well as the ideas of cyclical decline and growth (Konstancija Dzimidavičienė, Neringa Akcijonaitytė).
A significant number of ceramists choose to interpret symbols and marks of the human body (Matas Gaučas, awarded a diploma for his work Now; Eugenijus Čibinskas, Eglė Labanauskaitė-Steponavičė), or mythological imagery (Aldona Keturakienė and Kristina Ancutaitė). Others employ pictorial, expressive forms in sculpted figures (Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė, awarded a diploma for her work Radically Yellow; Agnė Kondrataitė) and fantastic motifs reflecting the flow of imagery (Jolanta Kvašytė, Virginija Juršienė).
Remigijus Sederavičius’s work The Theory of Pot Evolution, which was awarded the second prize, draws attention to the conceptual intersections of new technologies and traditional ceramics. The piece draws inspiration from the theory of the Scottish mathematician and biologist D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, who interpreted the diversity of biological forms as geometrical figures. In the installation-like artwork, several visual segments intertwine seamlessly. On the screen, a logarithmically shifting timeline unfolds, illustrating the evolution from a prehistoric pot to a contemporary vessel. This progression is vividly enhanced by the adjacent display of object silhouettes generated using a 3D modelling programme and vessel forms crafted with a 3D ceramic printer.
The Theory of Pot Evolution stands out for its exploration of the vessel concept, the emphasis on controlled process, and its embrace of technological innovation – elements that are also evident in other works.
It is customary for every biennial to feature works that interpret the concept of a vessel in various ways. This time, some artists incorporate ready-made elements (Danutė Jazgevičiūtė, Valdas Kurklietis, Vida Juškaitė), convey personal emotions through distinctively refined form and colour (Rūta Šipalytė, awarded a diploma for her work Irreversible), or highlight the potential of materials used in the creative process (Alberta Saukaitytė, Ieva Rutė). Notably, several ceramists have experimented with integrating video footage into their works (Mingailė Mikelėnaitė), utilised AI-generated ideas (Agnė Šemberaitė, Milena Pirštelienė), and ventured into new collaborative methods (Agnė Šemberaitė and Vėtrė Antanavičiūtė; Aldona Keturakienė and Kristina Ancutaitė).
In Jovita Laurušaitė’s work The Tower (awarded the third prize), I find both the construction and the drawn and painted elements significant, as if they form an inevitable and evocative accompaniment to human life. When seeking parallels and analogies in the works of other ceramists, it becomes apparent that some artists are particularly drawn to clear compositional structures – often featuring geometric forms – and the trajectory of the gaze (Saulius Jankauskas, Patricija Malakauskaitė, Eglė Valentinavičienė), urban motifs (Giedra Petkevičiūtė, Eglė Maskaliūnaitė Butkuvienė), or the puzzle-like fragments of an imaginary world (Eva Tomaš).
Others explore the signs of human existence and cultural symbols, accentuating existential moments of being (Giedrė Keruckienė, awarded a diploma for her work Talitha cumi; Gvidas Raudonius), and reflect on themes of eternal values (Danutė Garlavičienė, Audronė Dačkutė, Aušra Laurinavičienė), survival (Daiva Ložytė), and human identity (Domas Ignatavičius).
The exhibition of the final projects by the students of the Department of Ceramics at Vilnius Academy of Arts stands out for its more concentrated presentation, especially when recalling their remarkable displays at the “VAA Graduation Show.” In the ARKA Gallery, everything is simpler and more compact, yet the creative potential of the young artists is evident, emphasising the concept of the work or the context of artistic exploration.
The chamber exhibition Waiting for the Beast by Dainis Pundurs, which concludes the journey, is, in my view, a particularly significant event of this biennial. The scale of the objects, reminiscent of ceremonial oriental bowls, along with the vitality and energy of the works, is striking. The exhibition’s scenography is particularly effective – focused lighting in the dim, windowless gallery enhances the rhythm of the ceramic compositions. Viewing the “bowls” from above, I am captivated by the subtlety of the colour tones and the effect of the matte, almost weathered surfaces. Elements of historical age and rotation are both perceptible and felt, seemingly underscoring the significance of recurring actions, the sequence of fundamental phenomena – not only in ceramics.
Participating artists: Agnė Kondrataitė, Agnė Šemberaitė, Vėtrė Antanavičiūtė, Aistė Jurga Krasauskaitė, Alberta Saukaitytė, Aldona Keturakienė, Kristina Ancutaitė, Audrius Janušonis, Audronė Dačkutė, Aušra Laurinavičienė, Daiva Ložytė, Danutė Garlavičienė, Danutė Jazgevičiūtė, Domas Ignatavičius, Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė, Eglė Labanauskaitė-Steponavičė, Eglė Maskaliūnaitė Butkuvienė, Eglė Valentinavičienė, Eugenijus Čibinskas, Eva Tamás (Eva Tomaš), Giedra Petkevičiūtė, Giedrė Keruckienė, Gvidas Raudonius, Ieva Rutė, Jolanta Kvašytė, Jovita Laurušaitė, Dalia Laučkaitė-Jakimavičienė, Konstancija Dzimidavičienė, Kristina Alšauskienė, Matas Gaučas, Milena Pirštelienė, Dainis Pundurs, Mingailė Mikelėnaitė, Neringa Akcijonaitytė, Nora Blaževičiūtė, Patricija Malakauskaitė, Rasa Justaitė-Gecevičienė, Remigijus Sederevičius, Rima Leipuvienė, Rūta Šipalytė, Saulius Jankauskas, Valdas Kurklietis, Vida Juškaitė, Virginija Juršienė.
Rita Mikučionytė is an art critic, curator, and professor at the Vilnius Justinas Vienožinskis Art School.
The 8th Vilnius Ceramic Art Biennial, TARP, took place at Galerija Arka in Vilnius, Lithuania, between November 15 and December 15, 2024.
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Photos by Vetrė Antanavičiutė
