Saulė Budriūnaitė
Preparing to feel happy
VAA gallery “5 Malūnai“
2026 06 02–08 24
Exhibition curator Ieva Babilaitė-Ibelgauptienė
“At Virginija‘s” funeral home. Doors being unlocked to the afterlife. In her hands, she holds the keys to many secrets. Among them are her own – perhaps in the evening, a lonely gaze lingers too long on the sweet figurines – her own witnesses. Sinking into soft bedding, amidst decorative patterns where all forms lull with their primitiveness, she can almost forget that everyday life lies in a cold block of granite. There is no guilt in that pink fluff that gently tickles the nose, no guilt at all. The props fill the void where something real could be, yet at the same time prevent a fall into the abyss. Everyone finds their own recipe for filling the emptiness. There is no single way to admire, no single way to live, no single way to grieve. One must be prepared.
Saulė Budriūnaitė (b. 2003) is completing her bachelor’s studies in graphic arts at the department of Graphic arts, Vilnius faculty of the Vilnius academy of arts with her first solo exhibition “Preparing to feel happy” (supervised by assoc. prof. Ieva Babilaitė-Ibelgauptienė). In her work, the young artist explores and is interested in the aesthetics of kitsch, people’s relationship with artificiality, and attempts to soften the impact of difficult experiences. She uses drawing, book design, and objects to express her ideas.
The exhibition “Preparing to feel happy” is part of the VDA Graduation Show, which is on view at the “5 Malūnai” gallery, located at Malūnų g. 5, Vilnius.
The exhibition is participating in the “Culture Night 2026” event.
