Momentukininkė installation at Gallery The Closet, with portraits suspended throughout the room

Solo exhibition · 2025

Momentukininkė

Painter of Moments

Gallery: The Closet
Place: Busan, South Korea
Dates: 12 April — 11 May 2025

Enter the exhibition

01

Artist statement

“A collector of moments.”

A friend once called me a momentukininkė - a made-up Lithuanian word meaning “a collector of moments.” I think that describes me and my work perfectly. I love preserving emotions, fleeting expressions and quiet glances: the warmth of a room, the energy of a conversation, or the quiet feeling of being close to someone.

02

Inside the gallery

A room filled with people I wanted to remember.

Close view of a painted portrait suspended among drawings

Wide interior view of the Momentukininkė installation

Gabija Malinauskaitė outside Gallery The Closet

Layered display of painted and drawn portraits

Exhibition visitors outside Gallery The Closet

Visitor viewing the suspended portrait installation

Each portrait holds more than a likeness. It holds the time I painted it, the conversations around it, and the feelings I had while creating it.

Momentukininkė brings together portraits of people who are deeply important to me. I began focusing on loved ones simply because I love drawing people.

When my mother first encouraged me to draw faces at thirteen, it felt almost impossible. Returning to portrait drawing changed that fear into curiosity, and eventually into the most personal part of my practice.

03

Selected works

A portrait timeline,
from first studies to Busan.

This exhibition brings together portraits from different eras of my life, each reflecting a distinct phase of my artistic journey.

2024–2025

In Korea, I returned to oil pastels (a medium I hadn't used in years) and created fresh, expressive works. More recently, I've been experimenting with acrylics on canvas board, painting raw, emotional portraits of my friends and parents.

Holding On — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — HOLDING ONOil pastel & pencil · 51.5×37.7cm · Year

Mkay — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — MKAYAcrylic on panel · 33.5×24cm · Year

Zarasai — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — ZARASAIAcrylic on panel · 33.5×24cm · Year

Mama — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — MAMAAcrylic on panel · 33.5×24cm · Year

Tete — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — TETEAcrylic on panel · 33.5×24cm · Year

Medis — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — MEDISAcrylic on panel · 33.5×24cm · Year

Mamos Fotely — portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2024–2025 — MAMOS FOTELYOil pastel & pencil · 51.5×37.7cm · Year

2023 August

Just before moving to Korea, I drew my grandparents - a few of the most emotionally meaningful portraits I've ever done.

Vacelis — graphite portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 — VACELISGraphite · 29.7×21cm · Year

Baba — graphite portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 — BABAGraphite · 29.7×21cm · Year

Senelis — graphite portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 — SENELISGraphite · 29.7×21cm · Year

Lionė — graphite portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 — LIONĖGraphite · 29.7×21cm · Year

2023 March

While balancing work and studies, I created a series of ballpoint pen portraits of my friend, drawn during quiet hours at the library where I worked.

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (1 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (2 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (3 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (4 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (5 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (6 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (7 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (8 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (9 of 10)

Ballpoint pen portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2023 (10 of 10)

2016–2017

My earliest gouache paintings of faces and some charcoal and soft pastel works. These were my first steps into portraiture - awkward, careful, and full of discovery.

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (1 of 6) — Early Portrait ISoft pastel · 58×40cm · Year

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (2 of 6) — Early Portrait IICharcoal · 44×55cm · Year

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (3 of 6) — Early Portrait IIIGouache · A3 · Year

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (4 of 6) — Early Portrait IVOil pastel · A3 · Year

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (5 of 6) — Early Portrait VGouache · A3 · Year

Early portrait, Momentukininkė exhibition, 2016–2017 (6 of 6) — Early Portrait VIGouache · A3 · Year