ARTIST INTERVIEW: Gabriele Sermuksnyte.
Artist Gabriele Sermuksnyte at her studio in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Les Couleurs Miami Beach conducted an interview with Gabrielė Sermuksnyte, a well-known painter based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The interview was conducted by our art expert, Kristina Končiūtė-Kulešė, who holds a BA in Art History, Criticism, and Conservation, for our segment "Trending in Lithuania".
Gabrielė Sermuksnyte was born in 1990 in Kaunas, Lithuania. She is a representative of figurative painting in the young generation. The artist explores the other side of pop culture, ironically commenting on the decadence of modern society and showing its merciless reflection.
The figures in Gabriele's paintings, including characters from fairy tales, plastic mannequins, and beings between a person and an object, seem to be in a constant state of waiting. The viewer recognizes the elements of mass culture and is drawn into a dream-like or mirage-like narrative through the pictorial images.
The concept of beauty acquires different meanings and purposes in Gabriele's work. The paintings approach beauty ironically, creating a rich projection of mass culture and presenting it back to society. The viewer is drawn into a constant game, an invitation to solve riddles and guess what cards are being shown this time.
Gabrielė has organized four personal exhibitions in Lithuania and has participated in a dozen group exhibitions in Lithuania, India, Holland, Poland, and Georgia.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: Hello Gabriele. Thank you for your time in agreeing to give us this interview. What’s your background?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: I graduated from the Kaunas Art Gymnasium, a very nice school which my husband calls Hogwarts. Everyone there looks in the same direction and there is no conflict about favorite activities, as in other schools, this gave such a silky start to the world of art. Later, I studied painting at the Vilnius Academy of Arts for a bachelor's and a master's degrees.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: What are you trying to express with your art?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: For me, painting is a complete therapy, a meditation, a diary. I create what seems relevant to me and the world at that moment.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: Social and political themes are very relevant to me and those themes often appear in my paintings. Although it may not be visible at first glance, I do not aim for it. I want my works to be multi-layered and not read immediately. I broadcast the pains of society from my perspective. I think art is one of the most powerful forms of raising important questions and drawing attention to certain topics that don't get the attention they deserve.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: Who are your biggest influences?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: Visually, I'm attracted to the Fashion World, often with very glamorous, deliciously conveyed messages. The best example is Vogue Italia when the editor was Franca Sozzani. Many painful, political, and social hooks are presented in such a way as to reach even the most distant consciousness. Conceptually, I care about what is happening around me. I am not and do not want to be a representative of interior painting, so the events of the world, my country, my city, and my child's kindergarten are my source of inspiration.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: If you could have dinner with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: My all-time favorite painter is Jean-Michel Basquiat. I would love to have dinner with him and hear stories about art, about New York at that time, Andy Warhol, etc. All in all, that era seems to me to be somehow magical.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: How do you maintain a work/life balance?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: I have two small children, one of whom still wakes up every couple of hours at night, so I have developed great skills that help me achieve work/life balance. For me, painting is both work and recreation that keeps my mind sharp, so I find time for it.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: How does your geographical location affect your work and/or success?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: Lithuania is a small country with many good artists and a very small market for all of them to flourish. I think that makes it a little harder for success to come.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: What do you do to maintain your mental health?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: I do sports. I don't have much time for that at the moment, I spend at least 15 minutes a day. I try to eat healthily. And I spend time only with those people with whom we grow in relationships and friendships and help each other improve.
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: What are you working on that you’re excited about right now?
GABRIELE SERMUKSNYTE: At the moment, the topic of motherhood is very relevant to me. I have planned a collection of artworks about it. I think it is given too little attention, considering how hard psychological work it is and how many accidents have been reported in the media on this topic in our country recently. Because I'm in the prime of motherhood myself, I think I can and must bring certain aspects of it to the surface. One of the reasons is to make mothers feel better about themselves. I just have to find the time to paint those artworks
KRISTINA KONCIUTE-KULESE: Thank you so much for taking the time to provide us with this interview.
