ARTŪRAS MIKOLIŪNAS
"ON THE PATHS OF COLOURS"
07 05 – 01 06 2024
Opening on 7 May at 6 pm.
It has become a tradition to organize exhibitions at the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis House, the authors of which come from the world of music. Having discovered an irresistible desire to express themselves in visual art, be it painting or photography, they boldly express their feelings in newly discovered ways and expand their creative field with new creative means.
On 7 May at 6 pm. the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis House in Vilnius invites you to the first solo exhibition of musician and composer Artūras Mikoliūnas "On the Paths of Colours". The exhibition features thirteen paintings that have been created over the recent seven years.
"Ever since I was a child, music and drawing have been an integral part of myself. In kindergarten, I found a small accordion among the toys, picked out the bass notes, and improvised with my right hand to entertain friends, kindergarten teachers, and kitchen maids. I'll never forget the time when a kitchen maid and my kindergarten teacher danced a crazy polka while I played! Later on, my godparents bought me an instrument just like that, and that was probably my first step to music school, where I learned to play the piano, and later studied bassoon and composition.
My godfather, the painter Jonas Mikoliūnas, often took me to his workshop. For me, as a child, it was extremely interesting: the strange plaster heads, the messy sketches, and the smell of oil paints! The whole cozy artistic mess just fascinated me. Finally, I received a homemade painter‘s case from my uncle, full of paints and brushes, and that is how I became a little artist", says the author of the exhibition.
The love for painting, born in childhood, goes hand in hand with Artūras Mikoliūnas' other artistic activities. For the bassoonist and composer, painting is becoming increasingly important, inviting him to explore his experiences on canvas. Music and image, thought and impulse, a suspended or newly experienced fragment of life – like a collage that the artist puts together.
"My painting is a freedom that is not bound by any diplomas, competitions, or narrative quests. It is a sincere framing of my favorite moments, given to me by nature, by the freedom of the countryside, by a bird, a mosquito, an ant, a tree, a grass, the sun, a star, or a guest who rarely visits me and whom I haven't yet taken the time to paint...", the author shares his thoughts.
Artūras Mikoliūnas was born on 25 December 1970 in Ukmergė. In 1990 he graduated from the Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Conservatoire in Vilnius, majoring in bassoon. Later he studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and obtained a Bachelor's degree in bassoon, and in 2013 he also completed studies in composition at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Artūras Mikoliūnas has been working in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra since 1993. He is the contrabassoonist of the bassoon quartet "Fagotynas". Since 2003 he has been teaching at Kaunas Juozas Naujalis Music Gymnasium and Kaunas Juozas Gruodis Conservatory.
After graduating in composition, Mikoliūnas joined the ranks of composers and has been actively participating in musical life. His music is performed and commissioned by renowned ensembles and orchestras. The musical output of Artūras Mikoliūnas encompasses compositions of different genres and compositions ranging from solo and chamber works to orchestral scores.
The exhibition runs until 1 June 2024.
