International Artists’ Symposium and Creative Workshop “Šiauliai, City of the Sun”: Exhibition of Created Artworks Opens

On 4 September 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, an exhibition of artworks created during the international artists’ symposium and creative workshop “Šiauliai, City of the Sun”, organised by the Šiauliai Cultural Centre Gallery “Laiptai”, will open at the former Šiauliai University Art Gallery (Vilniaus St. 141). The workshop brought together twenty professional artists from Lithuania and abroad, who reflected the city’s 790th anniversary in their works. The exhibition will be presented by art historian Dr Dalia Karatajienė, who observed the symposium’s creative process.
Organised by the Šiauliai Cultural Centre. Funded by Šiauliai City Municipality. Admission is free.

From 13 to 18 July 2026, the international symposium and creative workshop “Šiauliai, City of the Sun” took place for the third time at the Zubov Palace in Šiauliai. Twenty artists from Lithuania and other countries – Latvia, Poland and Armenia – were invited to explore the identity of Šiauliai through the city’s symbols, myths, history and contemporary life. The artists were encouraged to capture on canvas the atmosphere of the city celebrating its 790th anniversary and to interpret the identity of Šiauliai in their own unique ways.

The exhibition presents the results of the six-day international symposium and creative workshop – visual interpretations of impressions experienced in the City of the Sun, created by artists with diverse artistic backgrounds. The symposium’s theme, “Šiauliai, City of the Sun”, inspired the artists to embark on a journey through myths, romantically coloured visions and the ephemeral flow of everyday life, creating their own narratives of the City of the Sun’s identity and expressing the emotions it evokes.

The paintings created by the artists reveal both real and mythical symbols of Šiauliai’s identity. The Cathedral tower stands white against the blue sky, the Archer, known as the Golden Boy, holds a drawn bow, and the Zubov Palace slowly awakens from its slumber. Many works feature the bull, symbolising the city’s vital energy, while the Eye of Providence, dispelling darkness, offers hope. Considerable attention is also devoted to the myth of the Abduction of the Sun. The artists skilfully explore the expressive qualities of colour, using variations of light to create dynamic textures of vibrant, trembling brushstrokes. Their use of colour conveys spontaneity, energy, strength, freedom and continuous improvisation.

The exhibition will feature works by all the artists who participated in the symposium. Participating artists: Sarmīte Caune (Latvia), Ričardas Garbačiauskas (Šiauliai), Vaidė Gaudiešiūtė (Klaipėda), Ilona Janulienė (Vilnius), Antanas Jasenka (Vilnius), Evaldas Jasiūnas (Šiauliai), Živilė Jasutytė (Vilnius), Aldis Kļaviņš (Latvia), Inta Klāsone (Latvia), Birutė Kuicienė (Šiauliai), Paravon Mirzoyan (Armenia), Gagik Parsamian (Poland/Armenia), Juozas Pranckevičius (Vilnius), Algimantas Puipa (Vilnius), Ieva Skauronė (Vilnius), Solvita Spirģe-Sēne (Latvia), Rokas Šakys (Šiauliai), Edita Utarienė (Vilnius), Gražina Vingrienė (Šiauliai).

The exhibition will be open on 4 September from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM; on 5, 12 and 13 September from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM; and on 10 and 11 September from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

For further information, please contact Kristina Alseikė, Event Organiser at the Exhibitions Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, tel. +370 658 80 507, email kristina.alseike@siauliukc.lt.

Photo by Liubov Yarmoshenko.