Kęstutis Lanauskas' small-scale sculpture exhibition "Haiku for Obelynė"

On Friday, July 24, at 6:00 PM, the small-scale sculpture exhibition "Haiku for Obelynė" by Kęstutis Lanauskas will open at the Tadas Ivanauskas Obelynė Outdoor Gallery. According to the author, the nature of the works in this exhibition was determined by both the specifics of the environment and the exhibition space, which encouraged a return to the form of small-scale plastic art. This also shaped the main concept of the exhibition – the sculptures are perceived here as visual haikus: laconic, concentrated, eschewing excessive details, yet containing a multi-layered semantic structure. Having lived in Japan for a year and returned there multiple times to create, sculptor Kęstutis Lanauskas formed a significant part of his creative worldview in this country. The ability characteristic of Japanese aesthetics to reveal monumentality regardless of scale and to convey a conceptual idea through a laconic artistic language remains one of the cornerstones of the author's creative principles to this day. Therefore, in this exhibition "Haiku for Obelynė," each piece invites not only visual observation but also a slower relationship with form, material, and space. The Obelynė park is not just a location for the exhibition here – it becomes an inseparable part of it. The natural environment extends the narrative created by the works, while the materiality of stone, vegetation, and the changing seasons seek to form a constantly shifting dialogue between the sculpture, the landscape, and the viewer. Kęstutis Lanauskas is a sculptor born in Garliava in 1972, holding a Master's degree in sculpture from the Kaunas Art Institute of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists' Association since 2003. The artist's work encompasses small-scale and outdoor sculpture, interdisciplinary art, and land art. The relationship between man and nature is important in his work, and the experience of the piece is complemented by sound, light, movement, and the texture of materials. Often, the viewer is invited not only to observe but also to touch or move the object, thus becoming an active participant in the work. The sculptor's preferred material is field boulders. K. Lanauskas participates in exhibitions, art symposiums, and international projects in Lithuania and abroad. Snow sculptures created by him and his colleagues have won top awards at international festivals in Japan and the United States. In 2025, the artist participated in the Lithuanian National Pavilion project at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The exhibition "Haiku for Obelynė" will be on display at the Tadas Ivanauskas Obelynė Outdoor Gallery until October 18, 2026. The Tadas Ivanauskas Obelynė Outdoor Gallery is open to visitors 24/7, and admission is free.