Jolanta Mikulskytė. Beneath the Surface
The exhibition reveals underwater states that the artist has been exploring for several years: shifts in pressure, fauna, biology, artefacts. Here, underwater imagery takes the form of large-scale lithographs, reflecting how the element of water alters human self-perception, worldview, and overall existence.
The title of the exhibition also alludes to global transformations and the reality of war, yet the most significant things remain beneath the (water’s) surface. As the artist observes, it seems that today there is no longer any lukewarm state – only cold or hot, black or white. Underwater imagery, image mapping, or perhaps a geography of emotional states was collected throughout the pandemic period as a method of survival, and now – of concealment, and once again, of survival.
Lithography* is an integral part of this artistic inquiry. It embodies a slow process and conveys a state of meditation, assembling fragments of our strange and uncertain time. As a drawing method, lithography is particularly apt: porous limestone is an organic natural medium that receives greasy drawing, and, of course, water – without water, lithography cannot take place. Lithography is a slow process, a conceptually fitting mode of expression for our time: for pausing the moment, for survival, for meditation.
The exhibition also presents an ongoing series of prints, Only You Can Think for Yourself (2025–2026).
Jolanta Mikulskytė (b. 1979) is a graphic artist and printmaker. She graduated in Graphic Art from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2006 (studied 1997–2006). She has held solo exhibitions in Lithuania and, since 2006, has participated in creative residencies, educational programmes, and exhibitions both in Lithuania and abroad.
Since 2007, she has been teaching at the Department of Graphic Art at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and since 2025 has held the position of Professor. She works primarily in the field of printmaking and, over the past several years, has focused exclusively on lithography. Alongside her artistic practice, she actively promotes the medium by leading creative workshops.
* Lithography (from litho- + Greek graphō – “to write”) is a planographic printmaking technique based on a lithographic stone (limestone). The printable elements are drawn directly onto the stone surface using greasy pencils, crayons, or lithographic ink, after which the stone is treated with gum arabic and mixtures of gum and acid of varying strengths. Contemporary lithography encompasses a wide range of media and expanded practices, including dry lithography (algraphy), offset lithography, photolithography, and various hybrid techniques such as polyester lithography combined with stone, aluminium plate lithography, and others. Its expressive scope is particularly broad, ranging from drawing and ink washes to colour, photography, montage, and varied textures and grain.
Organiser: Klaipėda Culture Communication Center
Partner: Vilnius Academy of Arts