Akvilė Malukienė | The Shell
My world as an aesthete unfolds in the "(the shell)" exhibition. I observe my body and those of nature. I pay attention to the motifs of nature, these are usually the flowers I grow. I am most attracted to them by the deformations that take place over time, the withering process and the unexpected forms that arise from it. Time seems to peel off their usual shell of beauty, opening a strange world. Based on these motives, I boil and paint with tar. It intrigued me with its play with light and conveys my ambivalent feelings about the merging of the organic and synthetic nature of the work or the clash of fear and beauty in creation. I also often use cosmetic masks in my work. It is a modern, synthetic material used to nurture beauty. It allows me to talk about the topics I care about: beauty, skin, surfaces and the body.
Akvilė Malukienė (b. 1990) is a Lithuanian artist of the young generation. In her work, she experiments with unconventional materials such as clay, soil, cosmetic masks, etc. The artist explores the themes of materiality, corporeality and beauty, often relying on motifs of nature and the body itself. in 2020 graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts, where she obtained a master's degree in painting. Organized personal exhibitions: "Death in Venice", "Beauty as a wound", "Close". Has won the most sympathy from the audience in the "Nordic & Baltic Young Artist Award 2020" competition, in 2021 she was granted the status of an artist. Her works have been purchased by the Lithuanian National Museum and private individuals. She has been participating in cultural activities since 2013.
