The exhibition "Frozen Coincidence or DNA" by Audrius Gražys and Bronius Gražys

From April 17 to May 10, the exhibition "Frozen Coincidence or DNA" by Audrius Gražys and Bronius Gražys is on display at the Šiauliai Art Gallery.

The exhibition opening event will take place on Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 PM at the Šiauliai Art Gallery. Admission to the exhibition is free during the opening.

„Before studying acting, my father dreamed of becoming a painter. However, before the entrance exams, he went to the then Art Institute, saw the works brought in by other applicants, tore up his own, and in 1956 graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory with a degree in acting.

He not only acted and directed but was also an avid collector: art postcards, books, badges, stamps, watches, autographs of famous people… But his greatest passion was the works of Lithuanian painters.

When I left to study in Kaunas, he found my paints and picked up the brush again.

At home, the walls of every room were covered in paintings. The collection kept growing, and the spaces between artworks kept shrinking.

It seems that living in such an environment, I was programmed to connect my future with art. So, it’s no surprise that my first painting teacher was my father.

When I left to study in Kaunas, he found my paints and picked up the brush again.

The idea of a creative duet arose long ago. But time passes quickly and always seems abundant, more pressing matters arise—until one day, it’s simply too late.

This exhibition is like a long-awaited creative encounter between us.

My father and me.”

– Audrius Gražys

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The exhibition features three painting cycles by Audrius Gražys: “Location N,” “Monotony,” and “Water DNA.”

“The unifying title FROZEN CHANCE or DNA best captures the cyclical nature of my painting, where, at different times, depending on circumstances, mood, captured image, sound, emotion—or perhaps a sum of all these factors—a new series of works is born. Later, with new experiences, I return to what was started earlier.

Elements from all the cycles move through my works like in a genetic chain, where one sometimes dominates while another temporarily retreats, waiting for its turn. And although the dominant always changes—its components remain the same. And when a new cycle appears, it joins the chain like a frozen chance traveling through time. Next to my father’s exposition, it gains even deeper meaning.”

– Audrius Gražys

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BRONIUS GRAŽYS (1934–2013) – actor, poet, director, and collector. Since 1968, he was an actor and later a director at the Klaipėda Drama Theater. He created over 150 roles in theater and film and published five poetry books. His art collection and paintings are an invaluable spiritual legacy of a vast and multifaceted personality. The exhibition showcases Bronius Gražys’s photographs (1959–1963) and paintings.

AUDRIUS GRAŽYS (b. 1963) – painter, set designer, and installation artist. In 1982, he graduated from the Stepas Žukas Art School in Kaunas (now the Kaunas School of Art). In 1989, he completed his painting studies at the State Art Institute of the Lithuanian SSR (now the Vilnius Academy of Arts). Since 1993, he has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association. He has held over fifty solo exhibitions and participated in more than seventy group exhibitions. After spending several years in Belgium and France, he now lives and works in Vilnius. In 2016, he was awarded the highest honor of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association – the golden badge – for the versatility and reflectiveness of his artistic work.

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The opening event of the exhibition is open to the public, filming and photography can be done. By participating in the event, you agree to be seen in photos and videos of the event and are informed that these photos and videos may be published publicly.