AISTĖ STANCIKAITĖ Uses Painting to Create HUMAN STORIES
All images courtesy of the artist and GNYP gallery
In Aistė Stancikaitė’s painting “Some Time We Walk Together,” two gloved hands are joined by a set of finger cuffs. The connected, silver rings resemble wedding bands. As for the hands, whether they belong to one or two people is up to the viewer to decide. With only a partial, faint outline of what could be a hip—visible against a gradient background that moves from blue to purple to red—the narrative is quite open-ended. “I often like to suggest a narrative without fully disclosing it—sometimes even I am not fully aware of the complete story behind the image,” says the Berlin-based, Lithuanian artist. “Often, images arise from emotions I want to visualize, much like ‘Some Time We Walk Together.’”
While looking at the piece, part of Stancikaite’s solo show where (no)one is that ran at ATM Gallery in New York in late 2023, I thought of relationships. Perhaps it was about a relationship with another person. Or maybe it was about a relationship with oneself.
“I appreciate your interpretation,” Stancikaite replied. “Indeed, it could depict a relationship with another person or with oneself… Alternatively, it may convey the idea of connection or a yearning for it, rather than a specific relationship.”
What does not appear in Stancikaite’s paintings is just as important as what is visible. This lends intrigue to the pieces and results in several different interpretations of her work. “It’s essential for me to maintain this openness in narrative, which is why I frequently employ zoomed-in or cropped compositions,” she says. “By revealing just enough to initiate the story but leaving the rest to the viewer’s interpretation, I aim to invite deeper engagement and exploration, of what’s pictured but also what each of us projects onto the work. This approach allows for a broader contextual understanding of the work, moving beyond mere illustration or prescription.”
The human body is an integral component of both Stancikaite’s paintings and her drawings. By exposing and obscuring features of the face and body, she explores ideas that go far beyond aesthetics and taps into emotional experiences that vary from viewer to viewer. The pieces are less about individual humans and more about the universal experiences that we collectively impart to them and extract from them.
I AIM TO INVITE DEEPER ENGAGEMENT AND EXPLORATION, OF WHAT’S PICTURED BUT ALSO WHAT EACH OF US PROJECTS ONTO THE WORK.”
“I am deeply fascinated by the intricacies of the human experience, both physical and psychological,” says Stancikaite. “While my work often portrays the human body, my focus lies more in exploring the psychological and philosophical aspects of being human.”
Heightening the connection between the viewer and the subjects is the photorealistic quality of Stancikaite’s work that captures the figures as if they are in the midst of an action.
“I draw inspiration from various art forms, and while photography has been a significant influence, I find myself increasingly drawn to other mediums such as poetry and text,” she explains. “Nonetheless, photography remains a vital tool for me in creating my work. As it is highly figurative, I use photography to create my own references, ensuring accuracy in proportions and structure. Additionally, I naturally gravitate towards photographic or cinematic compositions, which I incorporate into my work, viewing images as frozen moments akin to stills from a film or a dream.”
She juxtaposes highly detailed portions of the image with blurred sections of the paintings in a way that both reveals unique physical characteristics and retains the anonymity of the subject. It’s a very delicate balance between what is exposed and what is obscured.
THE HUMAN FORM SERVES AS A CONDUIT FOR STORYTELLING, WITH THE BODY BECOMING A METAPHORICAL LANDSCAPE.”
“I consider this aspect carefully throughout my creative process. It’s crucial for me not to focus on an individual per se, but rather to use the figure as a symbol for a universal human experience,” she says. “This is where the decision to obscure faces or show close-up crops becomes significant. By doing so, I aim to shift the focus away from specific individuals and instead invite viewers to engage with the artwork on a personal and introspective level. These figures or faces are intended to evoke emotion and serve as a backdrop or canvas for viewers to explore their thoughts and feelings or think about the human condition in a broader sense, rather than to attach to a specific story of an individual.”
Stancikaite’s work merges the tangible with the ethereal. There’s a perception of sensations in her paintings. Figures wear garments or hold objects that crease and fold as if they are leather or silk. Skin wrinkles as muscles appear to hold tension or relax. Hands are often touching something. At times, it might seem as you can feel what the character is feeling.
“My creative process typically begins with an image in my mind or a feeling waiting to be expressed,” says Stancikaite. “I then try to translate this into a visual reference by creating my own photographic collages, putting together compositions that serve as the starting point for each piece. While I do not work with live models, I utilize my body as a reference when needed, allowing me to maintain creative control over my subjects and narratives.”
Stancikaite first gained a reputation for her monochromatic drawings, typically made with red or pink color pencils. Vibrant shades of pink and red often dominated her paintings too. More recently, though, Stancikaite’s palette has
expanded to include rich use of purple and blue, which adds to the dreamlike quality of her images.
“My painting process is very slow and layered. I build up color and form in thin layers and glazes, intuitively guiding the viewer’s gaze towards the focal point of the composition, using the interplay between light and shadow to evoke a sense of depth and narrative,” Stancikaite explains. “Color plays a crucial role in enhancing the emotional resonance of my artwork, with each layer contributing to the overall mood and atmosphere. While I begin with a general guideline for color, my palette often evolves organically as the painting progresses, guided by intuition and experimentation, and sometimes by fortunate accidents.”
In the diptych “Wherever I Am Not – Somewhere I Should Be,” Stancikaite presents two images of a gloved hand reaching towards a shoulder, as if the subject is practicing self-massage. The pose of the figure is somewhat ambiguous, as if the subject exists somewhere between a state of anxiousness and one of relief.
BY ZOOMING IN ON THE BODY, MY INTENTION WAS TO OBSCURE THE GENDER, INVITING VIEWERS TO QUESTION PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS.”
“My original intention when making ‘Wherever I Am Not – Somewhere I Should Be’ was to encapsulate the range of emotions and feelings that coexist within us simultaneously,” Stancikaite explains. “I wanted to explore the
human body as a metaphorical landscape, representing the inherent duality within ourselves or in the world at large. Through a cropped and zoomed-in composition, strange perspective, and angles, I wanted to evoke a range of raw, visceral emotions, inviting viewers to interpret their nature—whether it be pain, despair, desire, craving, or something entirely different.”
Stancikaite relies on visual cues to convey this mix of emotions. “To emphasize this ambiguity and duality, I used mirrored compositions and inverted colors. This concept evolved organically throughout the process,” she says. “Viewing them together evokes a dynamic interaction, and I hope that deepens the viewer’s engagement with the diptych.”
Stancikaite subverts notions of gender in in “Waiting, Still II,” an homage to depictions of Venus that leaves much to the viewer’s imagination.
“I found myself drawn to the enduring symbolism of Venus as a representation of beauty and femininity in art history,” says Stancikaite of this piece. However, conventional depictions often portray Venus as an almost ethereal figure, embodying traits like purity and adhering to traditional notions of femininity influenced by societal expectations and the male gaze. I sought to challenge this idealized portrayal by adding a twist.”
Here, the viewer sees the figure only from the torso to the thighs and all that’s truly visible is a hand, the mid-section, hips, and outer thighs. The hand holds a strategically placed piece of fabric. “By zooming in on the body, my intention was to obscure the gender, inviting viewers to question preconceived notions,” says Stancikaite. “Introducing elements like a leather glove allowed me to infuse the portrayal of Venus with a sense of mystery, darkness, and obscure desire, deviating from the original ‘innocent’ representation and offering a more nuanced exploration of femininity and identity.”
Not long after our interview, Stancikaite was set to travel to Los Angeles for a residency at The Cabin. There, she planned to work on a series of large paintings inspired by dreamwalking, with the intention of looking at dreams in a metaphorical way. In addition to the Los Angeles residency and related solo show, she’s also preparing for a residency in London later in 2024 and a solo show in Berlin, as well as other projects that are in the works.*
This article originally appeared in Hi-fructose issue 70, which is avialable in print here.
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