The exhibition "Aleksandras's Alpfa and Omega" by the painter Aleksandras Vozbinas (1958 03 04 - 2021 02 24) has opened in the gallery "Akademija", it exhibits the early works that have not been shown anywhere before.
Aleksandras Vozbinas was a great painter, a memorable person and a connoisseur of history. One of the last students of professor Augustinas Savickas, he painted intensively for four decades, as well as participated in and organised many exhibitions and artists workshops in Lithuania and abroad.
The retrospective exhibition of Aleksandras Vozbinas's paintings is unique in that it showcases a rich collection of the earliest works from the family archive, as well as the last works, created between 2018-2021.
According to the art critic Vaidilutė Brazauskaitė-Lupeikienė, the curator of the exhibition, the artist's worldview is already visible in Aleksandras's early works, we also find iconographic, heraldic details, visual interpretations of historical figures that have become the leitmotifs of his entire work.
Aleksandras Vozbinas's works are full of grotesque, metaphorical and "hidden thought". Even before Lithuania's independence was restored, the artist did not shy away from criticizing the social and rather sharp political situation, and he unequivocally emphasized his national identity in his paintings. Allusions to the 'perestroika' and the early Independence period, when the aggression of the 'big neighbour' was still relevant, can be seen in the paintings.
Art critic Vaidilutė Brazauskaitė-Lupeikienė about A. Vozbinas' last works: as everyone knows, those paintings do not lack erotic motifs interpreted so wittily by the artist, accompanied by visual fragments of the beloved city of Vilnius. In the most mature paintings from the 21st century, we meet our favourite motifs, only the colour changes a little, the blue colour palette of the sky, intense red spots appear, the mood becomes clearer, the epicurean, hedonistic notes of the Lust for Life become more and more noticeable...
It's great that the artist left us a rich creative legacy. The story, and iconography of his works are so rich and versatile that, I think, it would be very interesting for more than one young art researcher to explore and interpret it, noticing and grasping all the other layers of thought and feeling, and thoughts and emotions Aleksandras Vozbinas paintings really evoke.
The exhibition will be open until March 18, 2022.