The VDA, in cooperation with the investment group Zabolis Partners, presents the finalists of the young artists’ competition “Zabolis Art Prize,” whose works will be exhibited at the Academy’s exhibition halls Titanikas.

This year, the competition brought together nearly 70 emerging artists who interpreted themes from Ričardas Gavelis’ novel Vilnius Poker within a contemporary art context. In their works, participants reflected on the condition of the contemporary individual, developed personal artistic strategies, and sought new connections with the literary text.

The jury selected 21 finalists whose works stand out for their diversity of expression and artistic approaches. According to jury member, painter Vita Opolskytė, “the competition revealed a range of creative directions, but most importantly, the artists aimed not to illustrate the theme, but to interpret it and establish a personal relationship with it.”

Jury member, architect Agnė Makariūnaitė, emphasized the importance of interpretation: “I was most impressed by works that approached the theme indirectly, creating their own narratives. It was important that the works were visually rich and thought-provoking.”

Painter and Associate Professor at the VDA Kaunas Faculty, Petras Lincevičius, highlighted the broader context: “The competition offers a broad view of emerging artists and current directions in painting. It is an important experience for both participants and audiences.”

Finalists: Aistė Janulytė, Ana Vostruchovaitė, Andrius Bursovas, Anton Pedos, Aurelija Zaburaitė, Gerda Grigaliūnaitė, Greta Jonušaitė, Juozas Šilingas, Karolina Galinauskaitė, Kristijonas Gurčinas, Mindaugas Pupelis, Monika Kubelevičiūtė, Paula Mickutė, Paulina Kryžanauskaitė, Povilas Žilinskas, Saulė Rusytė, Upė Lukaitė, Urtė Balsytė, Urtė Lagunavičiūtė, Valerija Bartaševič, Veronika Synenka.

The exhibition will open on 29th of April at the VDA exhibition halls "Titanikas". During the opening event, thre best works will be announced, and their authors will be awarded cash prizes of up to 3,000 Eur.

The “Zabolis Art Prize” competition is now in its 9th edition and has become an important platform for emerging Lithuanian artists, enabling them to present their work and engage with the contemporary art field.

More information: https://www.zabolis.com/artprize/art-prize-2026-en#finalists