Audrius Gražys, Bronius Gražys: „Frozen coincidence or DNA“

FROZEN COINCIDENCE or DNA 

 

“Before he persued acting, my father had dreams of becoming an artist. However, his path took a different turn. Just before the entrance exams, he visited the Art Institute and saw the works submitted by other applicants. Discouraged, he tore up his own creations and, in 1956, graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music with a degree in acting. He wasn’t just an actor and director; he was also an avid collector. He collected art postcards, books, badges, stamps, clocks, autographs of famous people… However, his greatest passion was the works of Lithuanian painters.  

When I went to Kaunas to study, he discovered my paints and picked up his brush again.  

At home, all the walls of the rooms were covered with paintings. The collection was getting bigger, and the spaces between the works were growing smaller.  

It seems that, living in such an environment, I was destined to connect my future with art. So, it’s not surprising that my first art teacher was my father.  

When I went to Kaunas to study, he discovered my paints and picked up his brush again.  

 

The idea of a creative duo had been floating around for a while. But time is fleeting, and it always seems like there are more pressing matters – until one day, it’s too late.  

This exhibition is like a long-nurtured creative reunion. 

My father’s and mine.” (A. Gražys) 

 

BRONIUS GRAŽYS (1934-2013) was an actor, poet, director, and collector. He joined the Klaipėda Drama Theatre in 1968 as an actor and later became a director. Over 150 characters in theater and cinema, five published books of poetry, a collection of art, his own paintings – a priceless spiritual legacy, reflecting his multifaceted personality. The exhibition presents the photography (1959-1963) and paintings of Bronius Gražys. 

 

AUDRIUS GRAŽYS was born on June 14, 1963, in Kaunas. In 1982, he graduated from Kaunas Stepas Žukas Technical School of Applied Arts. He continued his studies in 1989 at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, specializing in painting. He has been a member of the Artists’ Union since 1993. A painter and creator of scenographies and installations held over 50 solo and participated in 70 group exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. After spending several years in Belgium and France, he now lives and works in Vilnius. In recognition of the versatility and introspective nature of his work, he was honored with the prestigious Golden Badge from the Lithuanian Artists’ Union in 2016. 

 

The exhibition presents three series of paintings by Audrius Gražys: LOCATION N, MONOTHONY, and DNA of WATER 

 

“The connecting title, FROZEN COINCIDENCE or DNA, most accurately describes the cyclical nature of my paintings, when at different times, depending on circumstances, mood, captured image, sound, emotion, or perhaps all the above, a new series is born, and then, with new experiences, one returns to the series that was initiated earlier. The elements of all the series traverse my work like a genetic chain, taking turns in dominance. And although the dominance is constantly shifting, the elements remain the same. When a new series emerges, those paintings join the chain like frozen coincidences travelling through time. When exhibited alongside my father’s works, they take on an even deeper meaning.” (A. Gražys)  

 

www.artgrazys.com