2025 08 08 – 09 14  at Art Gallery (Respublikos st. 3)

Opening August 8. 6 p.m.

The 25th Jubilee Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposium is a long-standing professional ceramic art event, organised in Panevėžys since 1989. Over the years, these symposia have had a significant impact on the development of contemporary Lithuanian ceramics, and today the event also contributes to shaping the international ceramic landscape.

The theme of the 2025 symposium, Open Windows, sought to draw attention to ceramic art from regions not yet represented at the event, exploring how local traditions interact with the contemporary global context. Open Windows symbolises new artistic territories to be explored—both for the event itself and its participants. In total, 194 artists from 38 countries have taken part in the symposiums. This year, eight artists created large-scale stoneware works: Nataliia Antypina (Ukraine), Aivars Baranovskis (Latvia), Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė (Lithuania), Mette Maya Gregersen (Denmark), Malwina Kowalewska (Poland), Elena Laurinavičiūtė (Lithuania), Manuel Seita (Portugal), and Elina Titane (Latvia). The group of participants at the 25th symposium stood out for their ambitious ideas and exceptional diligence. Although the kiln, as always, brought surprises, the works exhibited impress with their scale, technical execution, and unexpected concepts.

Elina Titane’s works are born from emotion. In her creative process, she focuses on a playful and free visual exploration rather than rational explanation. She seeks connections between materiality, intuition, visual expression, and inner insights. The organic forms of her sculptures are inspired not only by natural motifs – as one might first assume – but also by everyday fragments, people she encounters, and emotions she experiences. Anything can become a source of inspiration, without being overly emphasised. A distinctive feature of Elina’s work is that the material becomes not only the form but also the medium of expression. She is fascinated by the colour and texture of different clays and seeks to highlight these qualities, which is why her works are typically unglazed – resulting in expressive, natural-form sculptures.

Meanwhile, Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė’s organic forms are imbued with meaningful content. She continues to develop her recent creative themes. Through baroque forms, she turns her gaze toward the human being and their surrounding environment. She aims to reveal the complex spiritual relationship of the individual, influenced by the external world – bringing forth egocentrism, a desire for self-immortalisation, pride, and an ongoing pursuit of inner order and peace. Technologically complex forms seemingly contradict their visual lightness. Expression emerges not only in the depicted figures but also in the chosen colour palette – matte and vivid tones help to highlight the form. In Eglė’s sculptures, matter, movement, and emotion merge into a cohesive whole.

Soft, rounded, and smooth silhouettes are hallmark features of Aivars Baranovskis’ work. The Latvian artist typically does not seek to convey a specific concept. Instead, the form dictated by the clay itself takes precedence. The sculptures he created during the symposium follow the same approach. His pieces express lightness and tranquillity – positive emotions only slightly tinged with occasional darker tones. Even a chair that at first glance resembles a throne is in fact more of a soft, visually comforting armchair for everyday rest.

And thus, the exhibition, rich in organic sculptures, is complemented by Mette Maya Gregersen with her wave motifs. Her large-scale structures, reminiscent of swirling water, are richly decorated with textured elements. The artist creates these using plaster casts of various organic materials. In these works, water becomes both a literal and metaphorical connector – a safe haven. Usually working in smaller formats, the artist set herself an ambitious goal with these sculptures, the results of which are now visible in the exhibition.

The link between cultural traditions and ceramic art is evident in the work of Portuguese artist Manuel Seita. His architectural chamotte structures, decorated with glossy glazes, evoke azulejo – the traditional Portuguese ceramic tiles used to adorn buildings since the 13th century. He creates geometric forms that, under the influence of external physical forces, deform – becoming part of his experiment with the clay used during the symposium.

Historical inspiration is also prominent in the sculptures of Polish artist Malwina Kowalewska. She is fascinated by fossils and ancient artefacts. One such museum piece was a Bronze Age chariot she saw in a Copenhagen museum. Combining these visuals, the artist presents her own interpretation of such an artefact. Technologically complex forms present an intriguing challenge for the young ceramicist.

The symposium traditionally includes at least one emerging ceramic artist, and this year there were two. Lithuanian artist Elena Laurinavičiūtė represents the field of interdisciplinary art, combining visual and sound practices in her work. Usually using natural or mechanical airflows to make ceramic sculptures “speak,” she chose an opposite approach during this symposium – creating silent works. Her skull towers are meant to transport the viewer to catacombs and the afterlife.

In Nataliia Antypina’s work, clear allusions to the theme of war are present. Although this was her first time creating such a large-scale piece, the creative process went smoothly, as she is one of the few artists well-acquainted with the Ukrainian chamotte clay used at the symposium. Through stylised symbolic forms, her work speaks of the cycles of human life. At the same time, her creations reflect both personal and collective traumas.

From organic to highly structured forms, from universal human experiences to deeply personal narratives – this newly expanded collection of the Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposium embodies a wide range of expression and themes. The core aim of the symposium remains the same: to foster creative freedom and connections – enabling an exchange of ideas between ceramic artists of different generations, places, and experiences. The exhibition presents the creative outcomes of intensive work and meaningful encounters.

Aurelija Seilienė

Organizer – Panevėžys Civic Art Gallery, Project Manager – Aurelija Seilienė.

Head of the Symposium Aurelija Seilienė

Exhibition Designer Egidijus Radvenskas

Translator Rūta Povilaitytė

Editor Diana Armonienė

Technical Consultants Egidijus Radvenskas, Eugenijus Čibinskas, Artūras Stančikas

Graphic Designer Gabrielė Kartanaitė

 

Project is financed by Lithuanian Council for Culture, Panevėžys City Municipality.

Sponsors: “Kalnapilis“, “Midenė“.

Partners: Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library, Lithuanian Artists’ Association Gallery, Kauno kolegija / Higher Education Institution and “Owl Hill” Gallery, Naujamiestis Cultural Centre–Art Gallery.

Friends: Hotel “Romantic“, Restaurant “Bisas“.