The City Through the Eyes of Marija Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė: Photography Exhibition “Imagined City” Opens at the Gallery “Laiptai”
Organizer – Šiauliai Cultural Center. The event is free of charge.
The name of the photographer Marija Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė from Panevėžys is well known within the photography art community not only in Panevėžys but also far beyond it. Having devoted more than three decades to photography, the artist is a member of the Lithuanian Photographers’ Association and has received recognition in Lithuanian and international photography competitions. Throughout her creative career, the artist has held nearly 60 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 100 group exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. She has also actively contributed to the promotion of photography art – for many years she led the Panevėžys Photography Gallery, organized exhibitions, and compiled catalogs and books. Her work has also been recognized by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), which awarded her the honorary title of Artist of FIAP (AFIAP).
In the photographer’s work, an important place is given to Lithuanian cities and towns – their architecture, people, traces of history, and details of everyday life. In the author’s photographs, a subtle aesthetic of the urban environment often emerges, where simple objects or everyday scenes acquire new meanings. By searching for unexpected angles and details, the artist creates visual narratives in which the past, present, and the human relationship with the surrounding environment intertwine.
According to art historian Tomas Pabedinskas, while wandering through the city, a photographer captures not only fragments of visible reality but also personal experiences. The photographer is not constrained by everyday routes or rational goals – instead, remaining open to chance. According to the art historian, the works of M. Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė can also be attributed to this direction of city photography. While exploring Lithuanian cities and towns, the author emphasizes personal insights that combine the documentary nature of photography with the photographer’s subjective impressions in expressive visual forms. This becomes particularly meaningful when M. Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė captures images of Panevėžys – the city where she lives.
In her photographs of Panevėžys, one of the most distinctive features of M. Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė’s creative work can be recognized – the thoughtful and conscious use of color accents or color combinations. These creative decisions allow the photographer to create not only aesthetically expressive images but also associations and symbols. The author’s experiences and memories connected with the city create the impression that the viewer looks from the inside outward – reality is seen as if through the window of the photographer’s inner world.
“Familiar and unfamiliar. Old and young. Loud and quiet. Joyful and nostalgic. Inspiring and protective. A city that can still surprise. My city,” says M. Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė about the upcoming exhibition at the gallery “Laiptai.”
The exhibition will run until April 11. Visiting the exhibition is paid. Ticket price – 2 EUR. Information about discounts is available at the gallery “Laiptai.”
Opening hours of the Šiauliai Cultural Center gallery “Laiptai”: Tuesday–Friday – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday – 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Photos by Marija Šileikaitė-Čičirkienė and Arūnas Švelna.
Information provided by Kristina Alseikė, Event Organizer of the Exhibition Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, tel. +370 658 80 507, e-mail kristina.alseike@siauliukc.lt.
Atnaujinta: 2026-03-13 11:34