Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė is one of the most prominent contemporary textile artists in Lithuania, widely recognized on the international art scene. The exhibition “Offside” by Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė is open to visitors at the Kurtuvėnai Barn Gallery (Parko Str. 2, Kurtuvėnai, Šiauliai District) until May 9.
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė: Offside
9 - 30 May, 2026
Kurtuvėnai Barn Gallery / AV17 Galery, Vilnius
Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė is one of the most prominent contemporary textile artists in Lithuania, widely recognized on the international art scene. Using a specific technique of cross-stitching on hard metal surfaces, the artist transforms industrial and everyday objects into sensitive and multilayered works of art. Her practice brings together rough metal, textile, archaic folk art traditions, and contemporary critique. Characterized by irony and an ability to uncover profound social and existential narratives in ordinary objects, her work creates a unique dialogue between relics of the past and the issues of the present.
In the exhibition “Offside”, the artist uses the aesthetics and terminology of sports as a metaphor to reflect on today’s world, its tensions, and the fragility of community and collective connection. While the works may appear playful at first glance, they reveal complex dynamics of power, competition, and rivalry, allowing sports imagery to be read within a broader global context. The artist notes that cultural or sports events – once intended to unite people – often become a space where conflicting interests and displays of power intersect.
The exhibition features the collection “Sports at Home”, created during the quarantine period when team sports were forced to move into the home environment. This series features sports equipment belonging to the artist’s son and his friends. Part of the collection – vases made from ball bladders – was developed in collaboration with ceramic artist Rūta Šipalytė, while the display stands were designed by Martynas Gailiušas. The installations incorporate fragments of sports equipment: dismantled balls, their internal structures, and embroidered everyday surfaces take on unexpected forms that balance between recognizable everyday life and surreal imagery. These elements create visual tension and reveal what usually remains unseen – the inner workings of sports and social systems. Deconstruction and re-stitching become methods for rethinking established rules and power relations, while sports symbolism functions as a tool to expose how competition, control, and belonging shape both personal experiences and social structures. The works presented in this exhibition, previously shown as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Paris, invite visitors into a multilayered field where the motif of “offside” becomes not only a sports reference but also a symbol for reflecting on broader social processes.
Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė (b. 1977) is a professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. In 2020, she was awarded the Lithuanian Government Prize for Culture and the Arts. The artist actively participates in prestigious international exhibitions and biennials, and her works are held in major art and design museum collections. Her work has been exhibited alongside internationally renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Marina Abramović, and Damien Hirst. She currently combines an active artistic practice with her role as head of the Textile Art and Design Department at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.
The presentation of “Offside” is part of a broader project organized by (AV17) Gallery, aimed at bringing professional contemporary art to Lithuanian cities outside the capital. In addition to this exhibition, a show by Dainius Liškevičius will open at the Akmenė Cultural Centre in July, and an exhibition by Julija Pociūtė will be presented in October at the A. Driukas Music Gallery in Utena.
The exhibition “Offside” by Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė is open to visitors at the Kurtuvėnai Barn Gallery (Parko Str. 2, Kurtuvėnai, Šiauliai District) until May 9.
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
