On April 22nd 5 PM the exhibition “Canvas in the City” by Aidas Mikelėnas will be opened in the Steam Condenser Hall of the Energy and Technology Museum.
It exhibits the artist’s oil paintings on canvas and watercolors. Urban landscapes, the play of urban structures in the world – the works reflect the architecture of metropolises and the shadows of their history. One can see the connection between old and modern architecture, not only in architectural forms, but also in the consequences of human activity, such as the art of graffiti, shop signs or water towers.
Mikelėnas’ boldly used texture is a form of expression to obtain the effect of construction. The colorful works are reminiscent of graphic works, dominated by white, black, brown and yellow. Expressive strokes are combined with a graphic line, which gives an individual and unique style.
The works depict images of the USA, Lithuania and other European cities and their interpretations. The artist is always fascinated by urban architecture, its forms, constructions, fragments, people, the spirit of cities. The cities reflect the architectural traditions of each country, the fusion of old and modern architecture, multiculturalism, and the creativity of the people who create them.
The exhibition takes place in the Steam Condenser Hall of the museum. The author chose this exhibition space because of the unconventional, unusual forms and authentic constructions in the hall. Urban forms of aggregates and labyrinths of pipelines have connections to the ideas of the author’s paintings. The main idea of the exhibition is to depict the urban everyday life in a moment, to capture fragments of architecture and urban structures.
—
Mikelėnas is an artist of watercolor, oil painting and stained glass. Mikelėnas, a native of Kaunas, studied at the Juozas Naujalis School of Art. Acquaintance with the famous Lithuanian painter and teacher Alfredas Šatas influenced the style of student’s painting. After graduating from art school, Mikelėnas studied stained glass at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Artistic education led to the discovery of a distinctive creative style, which is reflected in painting, watercolor and stained glass. The author draws inspiration from the architectural, cultural and everyday environment, his work is dominated by expressive styles, bright colors and graphic lines. In 2016 to 2021 Mikelėnas lived and worked in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and organized personal exhibitions. He is currently working in Vilnius.