Lilija Valatkienė's creative biography (CV)
Journalist, editor, photographer and painter
Education
1989 - 1990 Institute of Fridrigstad (Norway) - training program for journalists and photographers
1975 - 1980 Vilnius University - Master of Journalism
Work experience
2024 - present Member of the Council of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LDS)
2024 - present Chairperson of the interdisciplinary art section of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LDS)
2023 - present Vice-chairman of the National Association of Journalists Creators (NŽKA)
2023 - present Member of the Board of the National Association of Journalists Creators (NŽKA)
2020 - present Ambassador of the 2020 cultural capital of Lithuania – Trakai
2018 - 2019 Journalist UAB "15min" Cultural visual arts section "Art space"
2015 Creative artist’s accreditation by decree of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture
2014 - 2018 Public relations executive at the Lithuanian Artists’ Association
2014 - 2018 Editor of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association monthly "Dailėraštis”, actively participated in cultural dissemination and education projects, wrote and published articles, organized exhibitions, illustrated books
2013 - present Artist - 40 personal painting and photography exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad
2010 – 2013 Editor-in-chief of the online portal www.valstietis.lt and the weekly newspaper “Gimtasis kraštas”
1987 - 2010 Founder and editor-in-chief of UAB "Lietuvos rytas" magazines "Stilius" and "Stilius PLIUS"
Internship Newspaper illustrator-photojournalist in the "VG" editorial office in Oslo (Norway)
Awards
2022 Medal of the Lithuanian Journalists Association "For services to journalism"
2022 Trakai district municipality "Duke Vytautas the Great" Silver medal
2020 The "Antanas Macijauskas" journalism prize
2020 Biržai city medal
2005 UAB “Lietuvos rytas” - Order of the Cross of the Sun
Memberships
1992 - present Lithuanian Journalists Association (LŽS)
2015 - present National Association of Journalists Creators (NŽKA)
2022 - present Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LDS)
2014 - present Authors’ rights Association LATGA.
Creative activity
Interdisciplinary art projects, visual art exhibitions, management and curation (photography-painting-music))
Participated in 39 group exhibitions, organized 40 personal exhibitions
Exhibitions in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France and Belarus
Uses educational elements that interactively engage exhibition participants
2024 Group Christmas miniature exhibition - [RA gallery Vilnius]
2024 Group exhibition "Black-white" - LDS gallery Drobė - [Kaunas]
2024 Personal painting exhibition "Visit of Light" - Adam Mickevičius Library [Vilnius]
2024 Group painting exhibition of the "Individualists" Association "Between Vilnius and Kaunas Towers" - Ažuolynas Library [Kaunas]
2024 Personal painting exhibition "Incantations 2" Visual and sound magic - LDS Project space [Vilnius]
2024 Performance:"Tree of Life" painting by invitation of the Lithuanian National Cancer Institute Genetics Conference - [Vilnius]
2024 Photography competition-exhibition named after Romuald Rakauskas "Land of inspiration" - [Anykščiai]
2024 Personal exhibition of paintings and photographs "Insinuations" at Antanas Mončys Museum - [Palanga]
2024 Initiated and participated in Onuškis - 2024 Small plein-air painting of the capital of culture of Lithuania "We are here" - [Permanent outdoor gallery in Onuškis]
2024 International plein-air of artists, dedicated to the painter Aleksander Vozbinas - [Exhibitions in Ziboliškės, Utena, Pabrade and Vilnius]
2024 Group exhibition of paintings by the "Individualists" Association at the European Parliament - [Exhibitions in Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France) and Šiauliai in the "Laipų" gallery]
2024 Group exhibition "Union of Arts Union of Artists": synergy of creators to commemorate the 455th anniversary of the Union of Lublin - [Liublin (Poland) and Vilnius]
2024 "Aukštaitija dailė 2024. Metamorphoses" exhibition - [Panevėžys and Šiauliai]
2024 The 24th International plein-air and exhibition of artists "Veisiejai Spring" - [Veisiejai]
2024 The Year of Antanas Macijauskas. Personal thematic exhibition "In the Light of the Word", dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Antanas Macijauskas and the 120th anniversary of the ‘Resumption of publishing in the Lithuanian alphabet’ (Repeal of the Russian imposed 40 year repression on publishing in the traditional Lithuanian alphabet) - [Exhibitions at Biržai Museum "Sēla", Trakai and Veisiejai]]
2024 Group painting exhibition of the "Individualists" Association "Colour Chords" - [Exhibitions in Vilnius and Panevėžys]
2023 Group Christmas miniature exhibition - [RA gallery Vilnius and Laiptų gallery Šiauliai]
2023 Continuous culture and art project "Dzūkija dailė 2023" - [Alytus]
2023 Group exhibition "Black-white" - LDS Galerija Drobė - [Kaunas]
2023 Outdoor exhibition "Discovered and Undiscovered Kačerginė" - [Kačerginė]
2023 Plein-air and exhibition of XXI Šiauliai Montmartre Republic International Art Festival "Black-White and Other Colours" - [Šiauliai]
2023 International plein-air painting and exhibition "Colour Lives" - [Naujieji Valkininkai]
2023 Organizer and participant of the "Music and Painting Dialogue" painting exhibitions of the "Užutraki vakarai 2023" music festival - [Trakai]
2023 Personal painting exhibition "Musical painting pastiche" - [Lentvaris]
2023 Lithuanian Artists Association "Individualists" painting exhibition "Revival of Colours" - [Exhibitions in Kazlų Rūda and Šakiai]
2022 Group Christmas miniature exhibition - [Vilnius and Šiauliai]
2022 Plein-air and exhibition of XX Šiauliai Montmartre Republic International Art Festival "Blue" - [Šiauliai]
2022 Exhibition of works by new members of the Lithuanian Artists' Association - [LDS gallery Vilnius]
2022 Lithuanian artists association "Individualists" painting exhibition "Revival of colours" - [Exhibitions in Vilnius, Kėdainiai and Šakiai]
2022 Plein-air and exhibition of Varėna district painting - [Naujieji Valkininkai]
2022 "Troublesome silhouettes of Vilnius" - JC Decaux project "Art without a roof" outdoor gallery - [Vilnius]
2022 Initiated and curated the retrospective painting and photography exhibition of Vincas and Mindaugas Norkai "Savi" - [Trakai]
2022 Personal painting exhibition "Go ask the wind" - [Ramybės gallery Palanga]
2022 Visual arts projects "X: Free Space" and "X: EGO" - Mark Rothko Art Centre - [Daugpils (Latvia)].
2020 - 2023 Personal exhibition "Hot chair" - [Vilnius, Trakai, Rūdiškės and Lentvaris]
2021 Group Christmas miniatures exhibition - ["RA" gallery Vilnius]
2021 Continuing plein-air of artists "Gardens of Artists 2021" and exhibition "Hear the song of the river" - [Trakai]
2021 Visual arts project "X: EGO" - [Panevėžys]
2021 Painting exhibition "The shore is near" - [Vilnius]
2020 Visual arts project "X: Free Space" - [Panevėžys]
2020 Personal exhibition of mixed media photographs "Mystical water", dedicated to the Cultural Capital of Trakai - [Exhibitions in the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Neringa and the Trakai History Museum]
2020 Intuitive aesthetics plein-air "Expressions of authenticity in fashion and creativity" - [Kernavė]
2020 Personal exhibition of paintings and photographs "Memory" - Eglė sanatorium [Druskininkai, Birštonas]
2020 Personal photo series exhibition "What the puddle saw" - [Vilnius and Trakai]
2020 Personal exhibition, and education, of mixed media works of UAB Limedika – [Kaunas]
2019 - 2020 Personal exhibition of mixed media photographs "Neparadinė Lietuva" - [Vilnius, Plungė, Trakai, Kaunas and Šilutė]
2019 Group miniatures exhibition "RA" gallery - [Vilnius]
2019 - 2024 The author and manager of the project and exhibition "The Saga of Lithuania" - [Exhibitions in Plunge, Vilnius, Trakai, Kaunas, Šilute, Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Biržų Museum "Sėla", the Klaipėda Ethnocultural Center in Dovilai, Punsk, Kelme, and Ukmerge]
2019 Co-author of the documentary film "The Saga of Lithuania".
2019 Co-author and manager of the project and exhibition "Lithuanian we are born!" - [Exhibitions in Alytus, Kaunas, Šiauliai, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Trakai and Vilnius]
2019 Personal exhibition "Gone" - [Exhibitions in Plunge, Vilnius, Trakai, Kaunas and Šilute]
2019 Group exhibition of portrait photographs "Faces" - [Kunstkamera, Vilnius]
2018 Manager and co-author of the project and exhibition "Ambulatory", created to reflect on the decline of Lithuanian health and therapy centres - [Exhibitions in Vilnius and Onuškis]
2018 – 2024 Author and educator of the project and exhibition "Known, but unknown Vydūnas" - [Exhibitions in Punsk (Poland), Pagėgiai, Tauragė, Kintai, Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Klaipėda University and the Adam Mickevičius Library]. The exhibition was subsequently purchased by the Vydūnas Public Library of The Pagėgiai municipality
2018 Author and educator of the exhibition-installation "Vydūno class" and the photo exhibition "Vydūno paths" - [Vilnius City Hall]
2018 International (Lithuanian-German) project "Visions of Vydūnas creativity in contemporary art" - [Exhibitions in Detmold (Germany), Šilute and Vilnius]
2018 Personal exhibition "On the way" - [Vilnius and Trakai]
2017 Continuing international exhibition "Horse in photography" - [Dusetos]
2017 - 2020 Author and educator of personal art photography exhibitions “The Selected” which travelled across Lithuania, conjoined with educational workshops and artwork puzzles; - [Exhibitions in Vilnius, Panevėžys, Birštonas, Kaunas, Jonava, Širvintai, Rūdiškės, Veisėjai, Pagėgiai, Klaipėda, Telšiai, Plunge, Šiauliai, Radviliškiai, Biržai, Anykščiai, Šakiai, Druskininkai, Tauragė, Šilutė and Trakai]. This exhibition was purchased by the Stasys Museum (Panevėžys).
2017 Produced the first educational puzzles of art works created by the famous Lithuanian artists.
2017 "One Picture" Personal exhibition and education - [Vilnius]
2016 Tenth International Exhibition "Horse in Art" - [Dusetos]
2016 Personal exhibition "Did we get to know M.K. Oginski?" - [Trakai and Šilute]
2016 Personal exhibition "Letters to the rain - dialogue with nature" - [Vilnius]
2016 Personal exhibition "(Existence) - [Vilnius]
2016 Personal exhibition "February the-16th" at The Embassy of Lithuania in Switzerland - [Bern]
2016 Initiator and participant of the exhibition "What Gediminas never dreamed of" - [Vilnius]
2015 Painting and photography exhibition "Vilnius polonaise for Lithuania" dedicated to the 250th anniversary of M.K. Oginski [Exhibitions held at LDS gallery Arka in Vilnius, Žemaičiu art museum in Plunge, Rietavas Oginski cultural history museum, cultural centre at the Lithuanian embassy in Warsaw (Poland) and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius ]
2015 Personal, thematic, photo exhibition dedicated to the 250th anniversary of M. K. Oginski - [Exhibitions held at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Minsk (Belarus), the Lithuanian Museum of Music, Theatre and Cinema and The Lithuanian Republic Government House Vilnius]
2015 Personal exhibition "Reflections" - [Vilnius]
2014 - 2015 Conceived and co-author of the thematic exhibition "Vilnius Polonaise for Lithuania".
2014 - 2015 Music and Theatre Academy project "M. K. Oginski return to the cultural space of Lithuania" manager and coordinator.
2014 Personal Photo Exhibition "Fifth Region" LMA Wroblewski Library - [Vilnius]
2014 Group plein-air and exhibition dedicated to the famous Lithuanian painter Ch. Soutine -[Druskininkai]
2014 Group exhibition at the Contemporary Art Quadrennial Q14 "Art on the Flagpole" - [Vilnius}
2013 - 2014 Author and educator of the personal exhibition "Lithuania Minor: signs of the time" - [Exhibitions in Šilute, Taurage, Vilnius and Bern (Switzerland)]
2013 Painting and photography plein-air exhibition "Delta - 2013" - [Mingė]
2011 Head of the joint project "Our heritage” hosted by the weekly magazine "Gimtasis kraštas", the Association of Lithuanian Castles and Estates and the weekly newspaper "Native Land".
2009 The 9th International plein-air of artists and exhibition "Veisiejai spring" - [Veisiejai]
2006 - 2007 Founded and project managed the classical music festival "Summer Steps: stars and starlets” – held at The Vilnius Congress Palace and The National Philharmonic Hall - Vilnius
Initiated, authored and project managed “The Day of Tolerance” in conjunction with representatives of Lithuanian traditional religious communities and "Holy Fashion" on St. Ignatius church platform - [Vilnius]
Author and director of the project "Music and Fashion" undertaken in conjunction with the State Symphony Orchestra of Lithuania - at The Vilnius Congress Palace
Author and manager of the cultural and fashion event: "Striped banquet" for client "Omnitel"
Organizer and manager of the cultural and fashion event "Karen Millen" (England) held at the Lithuanian Centre for Contemporary Art in Vilnius
Art works
Her art works have been acquired by the Mark Rothko Art Centre (Latvia), the Stasys Museum Panevėžys, the Šiauliai "Aušros" Museum, the Šiauliai Art Gallery "Laiptai", the Vilnius City Museum, the Trakai History Museum, the Vilnius Adam Mickevičius Library, the Lentvaris Culture Centre, the Pagėgiai Municipality Vydūnas Public Library, the Plungė District Municipality Library, the Punsk Municipality (Poland), Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarussian, Polish, Scottish, French, Swiss, USA and Australian private collectors.
Bibliography
She writes on the topics of culture, architectural heritage, art, prepares overview photo reports about famous artists. Texts are published in Lithuanian and foreign newspapers, internet portals and magazines.
2019 Creator and co-author of the documentary film "The Saga of Lithuania"
2018 Created educational puzzles "Place the art"
2018 – 2019 Published 24 richly illustrated stories from artists' workshops in the portal 15min.lt in the culture column "Art space"
2017 Published the photo album "Išrinktieji" (“The Selected”) – featuring 90 psychological portraits of the most prominent Lithuanian artists
2015 Published a richly illustrated book on “Mykolas Kleopas Oginskis - homeland of soul and thoughts - Lithuania” (Music and Theatre Academy Publishing House) - co-author doc. Laima Budzinauskiene
2014 Illustrated the cover of prof. Egidijus Aleksandravičius's book on the migration of the Lithuanian nation titled - "History of the Lithuanian World" - (Lietuvos rytas publishing house).
2013 Published an album of photo reflections "Lithuania Minor: signs of the times"
Expeditions
Initiated research expeditions to Germany, Belarus, Poland and Lithuania, clarifying the life paths, historiography and heritage of the philosopher, thinker Vydūnas, politician, diplomat and composer Mykolas Kleopas Oginski.