Čepkauskas, Vitalis

Lithuania, 1964

Vitalis Čepkauskas who works across many different visual media is best known for his work as a sculptor, installation artist, and experimental fashion designer. His artistic practices also include collages, paintings and toys. A considerable part of his oeuvre comprises compositions of used, found or acquired items. Čepkauskas believes that old things carry memories, energy, connections to the past and owners who are long gone. Through their use in his installations, the artist makes them part of a new narrative based on personal experiences. In his works, the artist reflects over stories inspired by human existence and explores such topics as memory, temporariness, cycle of life, creative work and authenticity. Masks are among the most significant motifs of the work of Čepkauskas: they serve as a symbol of human identity, vulnerability and duality. The artist’s paintings and collages are characterised by expressive language, contrasts between the high and the popular art, the use of aesthetic elements of Pop Art and Dadaism close to the world-view of the artist.