Biography

1949
Stasys Eidrigevicius was born on July 24 in the village Medinskiai in the north of Lithuania, the second son of Leonard
Father Leonard , of Polish decent, and Alfonsa
Mother Alfonsa . He spent his childhood in the countryside, in a large family circle. He was particularly attached to his mother.

1956
The Eidrigievicius family moves to Lepsiai village near Paneveżys, where Stasys started his education, continued in Paneveżys since 1960. Very early he showed artistic talents, noticed by his closest surrounding and the educators.

1964-1968
Education in the S. Żukas Technical School in Kaunas, where he studied artistic design of leather. First attempts in the field of artistic photography and graphics (ex-libris). A diploma with honours for the design of leather book covers.

1968-1973
Studies in the Institute of Fine Arts in Vilnius at the pedagogie faculty. After the second year he specialised in painting, all the time participating in graphics classes. He took active part in students' theatrical undertakings, he belonged to the literature circle. First honourable mentions and individual exhibitions organised in his mother university: e.g. ex-libris exhibition (1970) and painting exhibition (1971), recognised as the best individual exhibition of the year.

1972
First visit to Poland in response to the invitation of an ex-libris collector, Edmund Puzdrowski from Bydgoszcz. During his stay in Poland he visited Warsaw, Cracow, Zakopane, Auschwitz, Poznań, Gdańsk, among other cities, taking keen interest in the modern art.

1973
A medal of honour at the 6th International Biennial of Modern Ex-Libris in Malbork. Diploma in the Institute of Fine Arts in Vilnius in painting. Debut - the oil paintings Triptych with my Father, Mum and Aunt Elizabeth. He is appointed to work in school and he works as an artist in the Vilnius Philharmonic Hall.

1974
One year military service in the Red Army. He recalls his military service to be a drama and imprisonment but this is where he discovers the charms of miniature painting.

1975
Second visit to Poland. A medal of honour at the 7th International Biennial of Ex-Libris in Malbork. 1976 He marries Lucyna (Łucja) Sinkiewicz, a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Their first daughter, Ewa Barbara, is born. Ineffective attempts to settle in Poland. The main form of his artistic statement is ex-libris, for which he gets an award at the 16th International Congress of Ex-Libris in Lisbon. He shows his drawings and graphics in BWA in Toruń for the first time.

1977
Growing popularity in Poland and official orders placed. First book illustrations. Daughter Justyna is born. Another award at the Biennial in Malbork.

1978
He was refused the permanent residence in Poland once again. An exhibition of his ex-libris in japan.

1979
First presentation of miniatures in Galeria Krytyków (the Gallery of Critics) in Warsaw. The National Museum in Wrocław purchases a large number of the works shown there. Golden Badge at the Biennial Exhibition of Illustrations for Children in Bratislava. Medal of honour at the Exhibition of Small Graphic Forms in Lodź.

1980
Medal of honour at the Triennial of Smali Graphic Forms in Tallin. He gets the permit for permanent resi-dence in Poland, comes to Warsaw in November. 1981 Golden Badge in Bratislava. Award of Polish Association of Book Editors) at the Most Beautiful Book for Children Exhibition for illustrations to The Raven King. First trip to Western Europe, visit to Paris.

1982
Exhibition in Switzerland, Son Ignacy is born.

1983
Grand Prix at the Triennial of Small Forms in Riga.

1984
Bronze Medal at the exhibition of books and book illustrations in Leipzig; an honourable mention at the 9th/10th International Biennial of Poster in Warsaw. He presents his book illustrations in Copper Hewitt Museum in New York at the Ten Years ofthe European Illustration exhibition. First visit of his parents to Poland.

1985
Tragic death of his father.
Honourable mention at the International Poster Contest in Bologna for his poster The International Year ofYouth. Honourable certificate of the "American Communication Art Magazine". He travels to Sweden and West Berlin; he visits Rome, Milano and Florence in Italy. He creates his first pastels.

1986
He has exhibitions in the USA (Chicago, Los Angeles); he meets David Hockney, Andy Warhol. In Chicago, inspired by the art of northern American Indians, he starts a series of Masks, continued after his return to Poland. Grand Prix at the International Book Illustration Contest in Barcelona for the book Going Back. He gets an honourable mention of "Życie Warszawy" for the Best Poster of the Month (May) for the first time. Visit to Amsterdam.

1987
Intense works in the field of poster. The Best Poster of the Month (April, June, October, November). Golden Hugo Award for poster at the International Festival in Chicago. First Award and the Award of Audience at the 2nd International Salon of Poster in Paris. Honourable mention at the 2nd International Exhibition of Small Art Forms in Toronto. Exhibitions in Sweden andjapan. Inspired by Japanese calligraphy, creates a series of drawings in ink. A BBC film on Stasys' work is produced.

1988
More achievements in the field of poster. The Best Poster of the Month (January, April, May, November, December); the Best Poster of the Year. Silver Medal of Art Directors Club in New York at the 2nd International Exhibition of Graphic Art. Retrospective in the National Museum in Wrocław. Member of the jury at the contest for The Best Book Illustration in Barcelona (an individual exhibition at the same time). Exhibition in Tokyo. He gives up his USSR citizenship.

1989
The Best Poster of the Month (February, March,June and September). The "Hollywood Reporter" Award for a film poster. Golden Badge in Bratislava. Grand Prix at the Biennial Exhibition of Poster in Lahti. Titled "The Personality of the Year 1988" by poster collectors. Pagart Award for the whole artistic activity in the field of poster. Award of the President of Warsaw for the best exhibition of the year.

1990
Travels and exhibitions (Japan, England, France, Belgium, Holland). Grand Prix at the Ist International Biennłal Exhibition of Book Illustration in Belgrade; Third Prize at the Ist Manifesto Biennial in Mexico; bronze medal at the 13th International Biennial Exhibition of Poster in Warsaw; honourable mention at the 2nd Biennial Exhibition of Small Painting Forms in Toruń; Silver Brush in Holland; awards of "Decjih Novina" and "Die Zeit" papers. He creates a series^ac^, inspired by the art of Indians. His mother dies.

1991
Comeback to oil painting — a series of big paintings with the text of Yittorio Sgarbi in the background. A series of Sorrows objects. Exhibitions in Rome, Paris, Tokyo. Grand Prix in Bratislava.

1992
His first performance — Closing. Performance Conversation with Vincent in Kazimierz nad Wisłą. Retrospective 1973-1992 in BWA in Cracow.

1993
The theatrical performance White Deer, based on the autobiographical motifs, in Teatr Studio in Warsaw. Retrospective exhibition in BWA in Olsztyn and in the Centre of Modern Art in Vilnius. Exhibitions in Paneveżys, New York and Chicago. Yisitor — performance with Seitano Kuroda in Kazimierz Dolny. Member of the jury at the Biennial in Bratislava. Grand Prix Savignac'93 at the International Salon of Poster in Paris. Gold medal of the Society of Illustrators in New York.

1994
The Tower of Art installation on the occasion of Art Expo 1994 in Chicago. Gold medal at the 4th International Triennial of Poster in Toyama. He publishes Erotica — a series of drawings and poetic miniatures. First sculp-ture in metal in Faret Tachikawa.

1995
He visits the United Arabie Emirates, Bangkok, Berlin, Budapest, has exhibitions in Stockholm, Paris, Lubljana. In Perth (Western Australia) — performance Circles. He creates masks, objects, wooden books. Leaves for Mexico. At the international open air painting meeting in Siófok in Hungary he makes a series of small pastels. In Rome, at the International Festival of Contemporary Music, he executes the project Conversation between musie and painting.

1996
In Panaveżys — performance Fallow Land and installation Foundations. The actions Drawing I and Washing II in Galeria 86 in Łódź. He is granted Polish citizenship.

1997
During the visit injapan he executes two performances: Picture and journey of Water. He makes a series of pastels on the motifs of Japanese folk tales. Performance Erotica during the Warsaw Autumn to the musie of Bronius Kutavićius.

1998
Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris - series of pastels, acrylics; he draws, photographs. Performance Erotica at the Bronius Kutavićius Festival in Vilnius.

1999
Drawing I and Washing II in March and May in Galleria Spicchi dell'Est in Rome. He meets Enzo Cuchi in Rome. He visits Israel for the first time; a lecture in the National Library in Tel Aviv. During a trip he meets Tadeusz Różewicz. In September, performance in Castello di Ama in Chianti. Publisher Irsa publishes the book 'Stasys 50' and organizes a retrospective exhibition in the Palace of Art in Cracow. Afterwards the exhibition is presented in the Historical Museum in Wroclaw. In Arhus (Danmark) a presentation of posters in the Poster Museum. Participation in the International Exhibition FUROSHIKI in the GGG GAllery in Tokyo. Musical performance '1h5min' in cooperation with Knittel and Sudnik in the Centre of Modern Art in Warsaw. Gold Medal during the Polish Poster Biennale in Katowice for the theatre poster 'Molly Sweeney'.

2000
Poster exhibition in the National Museum in Vilnius.The Lithuanian President decorates Stasys with the Gedymin Order. Exhibition of miniatures in Gallery 86 in Lodz (Poland). Presentation of big sized pastels in the Modern Art Gallery in Lodz. A small retrospective in the Willy Brandt Haus (Berlin). Presentation of tempera paintings, pastels and posters in Tel Aviv. Performance and installation "Rain" near Bet Ariela (Tel Aviv). Participation in the Art Triennale "Echigo" in Tsumari (Japan), Stasys draws on the walls of a Japanese house. Participation in Mac2000 in Paris, pastels and drawings. In Boston and Kansas City (USA) presentation of pastels and posters.

2001
Photography exhibition in Gallery Artystów Plastyków in Warsaw. With the installation "Aquarium", Stasys participates in an international exhibition in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. In Lithuania he receives a national award. Participation in the exhibition "Hommage à Toulouse Lautrec" in the Centre Pompidou (Paris). Retrospective "Ku-Ku-Ri-Ku" on different locations (Kazimierz Dolny), In the Holy Anna church he presents the installation 'Our Holy Father". In Budapest (Gallery Platan) and later in the Artemis Gallery in Cracow, Stasys presents big sized photographs. Presentation of works in different media in the Modern Art Museum in Radom (Poland). Donation of several art works to that museum.

2002
Poster exhibition in the National Museum in Vilnius. Participation in the international exhibition "Brain UP" in the Palais des Congres (Paris). Poster exhibition in the Poster Museum Wilanów (Warsaw). Exhibition of pastels, drawings, masks and the installation ' "Braid" in the Krakauer Haus, Nurnberg (Germany). The Lithuanian Art Museum in Lemont (USA) presents pastels and masks. In the Thomas Master Gallery in Chicago exhibition of pastes and tempera paintings. Poster exhibition in the Opera Gallery in Wuppertal (Germany). Poster exhibition In the Municipal Museum of Druskiniki (Lithuania).

2003
Presentation of photographs in the Municipal Museum in Sopot (Poland). Participation in the exhibition "10 years of Polityka Passports", installation "Aquarium", Centre of Modern Art, Warsaw. Presentation of pastels and photographs in the Irsa Galley in Warsaw. Participation in the exhibition "New York Times Drawings" in the National Museum in Cracow (Poland). Presentation of illustrations in Aki (Japan).

2004
Presentation of photographs in the Thomas Masters Gallery. Presentation of posters in Tokushima (Japan). Lectures at the Tokyo University in Musashiro. Presentation of photographs and pastels in the Bateliere Gallery (Paris). Presentation of photographs and installartions in the M.K. Ciurlionisa National Museum in Kaunas (Lithuania). Participation in the exhibition "New York Times Drawings" in the Caricature Museum in Warsaw.

2005
Exhibition of pastels and photographs in the Municipal Museum in Gustrow (Germany). Presentation of posters in the Günther Rambow Gallery (Germany). Exhibition of his latest photographs "Bridges" in the Zamkowa Gallery in Lublin (Poland). Membership of the Federation of Polish Photographers. Exhibition "Photography" in the Federations gallery, Warsaw.

2006
Presentation of "The Living Images Parade" during the film festival "New Horizons" in Wroclaw (Poland). Participation (pastels and photographs) in the international exhibition "New Mask" in Kaunas (Lithuania). Exhibition "Unbeatable Rithms" in the of Sandomierz (Poland) - drawings cycle dedicated to the poetry of Tomas Venclovy. Small retrospective in the Lithuanian Embassy in Warsaw. Presentation of graphics, illustrations and posters in the Cafe Europe Gallery and the Explora Museum in Rome. Presentation of photographs in the Western Art Museum in Riga (Latvia).

2007
Scenography „Pinokio” at the Andersen Theatre in Lublin. The exhibition of the projects of scenography in the Michałowski Gallery accompanies the premiere in Lublin. Photo exhibition „Mask” in the ZPAF Gallery – black and white photos, cycle of 70 works. The exhibition in the House of Creative Work in Wigry: painting, photo. Exhibition of the projects of scenography „Pinochio di Stasys” in the Rome, Angelica Gallery. "The Wooden man" – the premiere of Stasys performance at the Studio Theatre in Warsaw. Exhibition of posters „Mask” accompanies the premiere. Pictures to the film „Bouzkashi” are taken in Uzbekistan, director Jacques Debs. In this film Stasys is acting himself. The individual photo exhibition in Bielsko Biała within the International Art Photo Festival. The retrospective exhibition in Grenoble – Echirolles, France. The posters exhibition in BWA Tarnów.

2008
The exhibition „Stasys – the newest works” in BWA in Olsztyn, Poland. The various techniques of the painting, photography, sculptures and installations are presented. Exhibition at the University Michigan in Ann Arbor, USA. The lecture for students, joint with the projection of pictures, accompanies the exhibition.

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