The finalists’ exhibition of the young artists’ competition “Zabolis Art Prize” has opened at the exhibition halls Titanikas of the VDA, where this year’s laureates were also announced. The competition is organized by the investment group Zabolis Partners together with the Vilnius Academy of Arts, aiming to strengthen the visibility of emerging artists and encourage their engagement with the contemporary art field.
Together with the Zabolis Partners community, the jury selected 21 finalists whose works stand out for their diversity of expression and artistic approaches.
The competition was evaluated by a jury of art and culture professionals from various fields, including architect Agnė Makariūnaitė; art critic and curator Aistė Marija Grajauskaitė; painter and interdisciplinary artist Donata Minderytė; painter Kotryna Onaitytė, winner of the 2025 Zabolis Art Prize; sculptor and writer Mykolas Sauka; painter and Associate Professor Petras Lincevičius; art collector Saulius Ratkevičius; art historian and curator Vidas Poškus; painter and curator Vita Opolskytė; and painter and professor Živilė Jasutytė.
2026 “Zabolis Art Prize” Laureates
1st Prize – Aurelija Zaburaitė for “The Bet”
(1st-year Master’s student, Painting Department, VAA Vilnius Faculty)
2nd Prize – Kristijonas Gurčinas for “Witching Hour”
(2nd-year Master’s student, Painting Department, VAA Vilnius Faculty)
3rd Prize – awarded jointly to:
Upė Lukaitė for “Observed”
(3rd-year BA student, Site-Specific Art and Scenography Department – Fresco/Mosaic)
AND
Urtė Balsytė for “Distance”
(4th-year BA student, Site-Specific Art and Scenography Department – Fresco/Mosaic)
“Zabolis Partners” Community Award – Povilas Žilinskas for “High Voltage Children”
(3rd-year BA student, Ceramics Department)
Social Media Favourite – Greta Jonušaitė for “Truth Between Illusion”
This year, the competition brought together nearly 70 emerging artists who interpreted themes from Ričardas Gavelis’ novel Vilnius Poker within a contemporary art context. Participants reflected on contemporary human experience, developed individual artistic strategies, and created unique dialogues with the literary text.
The jury selected 21 finalists whose works are currently exhibited at Titanikas. Jury members emphasized the maturity of this year’s interpretations and the diversity of artistic expression. According to painter Vita Opolskytė, the most important aspect was not the direct illustration of the theme, but the search for a personal relationship with it. Architect Agnė Makariūnaitė highlighted works that offered original visual narratives and encouraged critical thinking, while painter and Associate Professor Petras Lincevičius stressed the significance of the competition in revealing current directions in Lithuanian painting.
The exhibition features works by: 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, and Veronika Synenka.
The exhibition at Titanikas (Maironio St. 3, Vilnius) will run until 22 May.
Photos by organizers
