Indrė Šerpytytė Lithuanian, b. 1983

Overview
Indrė Šerpytytė

Indrė Šerpytytė (b. 1983, Lithuania) is a photographer who also employs and combines other media such as sculpture, film, audio, choreography, archival materials and textile. With a PhD in Photography obtained at the Royal College of Art in London, Šerpytytė is mostly interested in history, conflict and trauma.

Indrė Šerpytytė’s early works centre around Lithuania’s recent history, how it is recalled in the public discourse and its influence on national identity. However, in her recent practice, the artist has moved to broader topics, exploring the use of culturally charged symbols as an abstract language - a form of communication that traces a universal discourse. Šerpytytė’s photographs are a result of a thoughtful investigation of the political history of the Cold War and its catastrophic consequences. They also stem from her own personal experience of displacement and separation from her Eastern European origins. Through photography, the artist explores issues of memory, trauma and loss, taking on a critical view on Lithuania’s history and her own roots which she finds in the years of WWII and the Cold War period. She uses photography as an emotional expression, employing visuality to make the past more tangible. In her most recent work, Šerpytytė adapts this creative strategy to contemporary political events, war, the art world, women studies and environmental problems. The photographer has also created minimalistic installations, sculptures and a textile series, in which patterned traditional strips typical of the Baltic region are layered on the base of paintings, creating a clean, resounding rhythm of folk-art patterns turned into a universal visual language.

Indrė Šerpytytė is an active participant in both group and solo exhibitions in Lithuania, the UK, Italy, France, the US, Russia and many other countries. Her works have been included in the collections of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, David Roberts Collection, The Collection of Jay Jopling and other public as well as private collections.

View artist website
Works
Biography
Indrė Šerpytytė

Born 1983 in Palanga, Lithuania

Lives and works in London, United Kingdom

 

EDUCATION/RESIDENCIES

2013 – PhD in Photography, Royal College of Art, London (United Kingdom)

2009 – MA in Photography, Royal College Of Art, London (United Kingdom)

2008 – Residency at Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris (France)

2006 – BA in Editorial Photography, University of Brighton, Brighton (United Kingdom)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

2021 – (1944 – 1991) – Former NKVD – MVD – MGB – KGB Buildings, Kunsthall 3.14, Bergen, Norway

2019 – From.Between.To, VARTAI Gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2019 – When the Golden Sun is Sinking, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Rugby (United Kingdom) 

2019 – From.Between.To, Parafin, London (United Kingdom)

2019 – Territorial Symphonies, 58th Venice Biennale, Venice (Italy)

2017 – Focus, Frieze New York, New York (USA)

2017 – Absence of Experience, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2016 – Pedestal, Parafin, London (United Kingdom)

2013 – Ffotogallery, Turner House, Penarth (United Kingdom)

2011 – Indrė Šerpytytė, Photographers Association, London (United Kingdom)

2011 – Indrė Šerpytytė, Vilniaus Photography Gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2010 – Indrė Šerpytytė, Camera 16, Milan (Italy)

2009 – Indrė Šerpytytė, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, London (United Kingdom)

2007 – A State of Silence, Yossi Milo Gallery, New York, (USA)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 - Celebrate For Change, Mo Museum, Vilnius Lithuania

2021 - Forest, Parafin Gallery, London UK

2020 – Refugees: Forced to Flee, Imperial War Museum, London (United Kingdom)

2020 – Garden of Time: Textiles as Nature Poem, Mendes Wood DM, Online exhibition

2019 – Museum of Modern Art and Western Antiquities, Section II Department of Carving and Modelling: Form and Volume, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon (Portugal)

2019 – EXTENSION.LT: Parallel Narrations, National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Arsenal, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

2019 – Flowers of our Land, The Israeli Center for Digital Arts, Holon (Israel)

2019 – EXTENSION.LT: Parallel Narrations, Triumph Gallery, Moscow (Russia)

2018 – Memory Matters, Skissernas Museum, Lund, Sweden

2018 – Riga International Biennial Of Contemporary Art (RIBOCA), Riga (Latvia) 

2018 – Textile Abstraction, Casas Riegner, Bogota (Columbia)

2018 – Entangled Tales, Rupert, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2018 – Daegu Photo Biennale, Daegu (South Korea) 

2018 – Collecting Hits, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2018 – Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11, Imperial War Museum, London (United Kingdom) 

2018 – Undersong, Kim?, Riga (Latvia)

2017 – Secular Icons in an Age of Moral Uncertainty, Parafin, London (United Kingdom) 

2017 – Community Board, Grimm, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

2017 – The Image of War, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm (Sweden)

2017 – Kaunas Biennial, Kaunas (Lithuania)

2017 – Central by East Central, Galeria Arsenal, Bialystok (Poland)

2017 – International Festival of Photography, Belo Horizonte (Brazil)

2017 – Invisible Cities, Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University Lenfest Center of the Arts, New York (USA) 

2016 – A Take On Vintage Photography, Photography Museum, Šiauliai (Lithuania)

2016 – Richard Osterweil / Indrė Šerpytytė / Achraf Touloub, To___Bridges___, New York (USA)

2016 – Return Policy, Howard St, New York, (USA)

2015 – Ocean of Images: New Photography 2015, MoMA, New York (USA)

2015 – Quiet Life. Modern Lithuanian Photography, Manggha Museum Of Japanese Art & Technology, Krakow (Poland)

2015 – Tbilisi Photo Festival, Writers' House of Georgia, Tbilisi (Georgia)

2015 – Krakow Photomonth Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, MOCAK, Krakow (Poland)

2015 – Conflict, Time, Photography, Museum Folkwang, Essen (Germany)

2014 – Conflict, Time and Photography, Tate Modern, London (United Kingdom)

2014 – Postwar Stories, Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas (Lithuania)

2014 – Viewfinders. Contemporary Baltic and Nordic Photography, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao (China)

2014 – Viewfinders. Contemporary Baltic and Nordic Photography, Riga Art Space, Riga Photomonth, Riga (Latvia)

2013 – Poetic Documents, Rotes Rathaus, Berlin (Germany); Granze Town Museum, Granze (Italy); Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Lithuanian Culture Centre, ZPAF Gallery, Warsaw (Poland); National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2012 – Moments of Reprieve, Paradise Row, London (United Kingdom)

2011 – Memoria Variabile, Galleria Milano, Milan (Italy)

2011 – Les Rencontres d’Arles, Grande Halle, Arles (France)

2010 – The House of Nobleman, London (United Kingdom)

2010 – Trys, Fotohof, Salzburg (Austria)

2010 – Victoria and Albert Museum, London (United Kingdom)

2010 – The Road to Contemporary Art, Camera16, Rome (Italy)

2010 – Update.UK. Photography in Britain after 2000, Camelot Gallery & Gallery Imago Mundi – Foundation, Krakow Photomonth, Krakow (Poland)

2010 – International Festival of Fashion and Photography, Villa Noailles, Hyeres (France)

2010 – The Open West, Summerfield Gallery, Cheltenham (United Kingdom)

2010 – The Photographers' Gallery, London (United Kingdom)

2010 – Exposure, James Hyman Gallery, London (United Kingdom)

2009 – Chelsea College of Art & Design, London (United Kingdom)

2009 – Hoopers Gallery, London (United Kingdom)

2009 – Show RCA, Gulbenkian Gallery, Royal College of Art, London (United Kingdom)

2009 – Prix Leica, Hockney Gallery, Royal College of Art, London (United Kingdom)

2007 – Jerwood Photography Awards, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh (United Kingdom)

2007 – IPG/Terry O’Neill Award, The Independent Photographers Gallery, Battle (United Kingdom)

2007 – Crane Kalman Gallery, Brighton (United Kingdom)

2006 – Jerwood Photography Awards, Jerwood Space, London (United Kingdom)

2005 – 2nd Year Show, University of Brighton, Grand Parade, Brighton (United Kingdom)

AWARDS/GRANTS

2013 – The Arts Foundation, Still Life Photography – Shortlisted

2011 – Discovery Award, Les Recontres Arles Photographie – Nominated by Simon Baker, Tate Senior Curator, International Art (Photography)

2010 – Paul Huf Award – Nominee Magenta Foundation, Flash Forward – Bright Spark Award Hyeres International Festival of Fashion and Photography

2009 – National Media Museum’s Photography Bursary Hoopers Gallery Prize Metro I       maging Award

2008 – Leica Prize – Shortlisted Artist in Residency, Cite internationale des Arts, Paris Fujifilm Distinction Awards – Third Prize

2007 – Terry O’Neill Award – Specially Commended First London International Creative Competition – Shortlisted Arts Council Grant International Color Awards, 2nd Annual Photography Master Cup – Nominee in Still Life Pilsner Urquell International Photography Awards

2007 – Fine Art – Still Life – Honorable Mention International Photographic Art Prize “Arte Laguna” – Finalist

2006 – Jerwood Photography Award– Winner Nominated for Student of the Year Award 

COLLECTIONS

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) (United Kingdom)

David Roberts Collection (United Kingdom)

The collection of Jay Jopling (United Kingdom)

Derwent London (United Kingdom)

Lewben Art Foundation (Lithuania)

2021

Celebrate For Change, Mo Museum, Vilnius Lithuania

 

Forest, Parafin Gallery, London UK

 

 

2020

Refugees: Forced to Flee, Imperial War Museum, London UK

 

Garden of Time: Textiles as Nature Poem, Mendes Wood DM, Online

 

 

2019

Museum of Modern Art and Western Antiquities, Section II Department of Carving and Modelling: Form and Volume, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal
 

ARCO Madrid 2019

 

Flowers of our Land, The Israeli Center for Digital Arts, Holon, Israel

 

Extension.lt, Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia

 

Exhibitions
Bibliography
Indrė Šerpytytė

PUBLICATIONS

2014 – Claudia Heinermann, Michal Iwanowski, Indre Šerpytytė, Post-War Stories, Kaunas: Lithuanian Photographers’ Association and Kaunas Photography Gallery, 2014

2011 – Indrė Šerpytytė, (1944-1991), London: self-published, 2011

BOOKS/CATALOGUES

2018 – Agnė Narušytė, “Before pressing the button”, in: What Took You So Long, ed.: Monika Krikštopaitytė, Jelgava: Jelgavas Tipogrāfija, 2018

2015 – Elisabeth Anstett, “The museography of disaster: museums faced with the material traces of extreme violence”, in: African Yearbook of Rhetoric, Cape Town: Africa Rhetoric Publishing, 2015

2010 – Flash Forward, Flash (Back) Forward, catalogue, New York: Hester Barnard, 2010

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS

2020 – Enez Nathié, “Humanity and Hope”, in: hundredheroines.org, 2020

2020 – “Human Journeys”, in: Aesthetica, 2020-10-08

2020 – Catherine Vonledebur, “Warwick University research informs new 'Refugees: Forced to Flee' exhibition at London's Imperial War Museum”, in: Leamington Observer, 2020-09-30

2020 – Molly Long, “First look: designing the IWM’s exhibition on the lives of refugees”, in: designweek.co.uk, 2020-09-25

2020 – Tabish Kjan, “What's It Like To Flee Your Home? Find Out In Three Free Exhibitions At Imperial War Museum”, in: Londonist, 2020-09-25

2020 – Lucy Davies, “Refugees: Forced to Flee review, Imperial War Museum: faltering but worthwhile testament to a calamity faced by millions”, in: The Telegraph, 2020-09-23

2020 – Chris Waywell, “Meet an AI border guard at the Imperial War Museum’s outstanding new ‘Refugees’ season”, in: Time Out, 2020-09-23

2019 – Egle Loor, “Lithuanian artist Indrė Šerpytytė: Traditions help us to navigate the globalised world”, in: noar.eu, 2019-07-11

2019 – Auguste Petre, “Her own heritage”, in: Arterritory, 2019-07-02

2019 – Caroline Molloy, “Indrė Šerpytytė / When the Golden Sun is Sinking”, in: photomonitor.co.uk, 2019-06

2019 – Rūta Mikšionienė, “Londone kurianti lietuvių menininkė žavi pasaulį originaliu braižu”, in: lrytas.lt, 2019-06-23

2018 – David Richter, “Den förträngda historien i ny utställning”, in: Sveriges Radio, 2018-10-04

2018 – Louisa Elderton, “Blurring line between art and viewer in Vilnius”, in: Blouin Artinfo, 2018-08-06

2017 – Alastair Sooke, “Too many lapses into triteness and banality - Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11”, in: The Telegraph, 2017-10-25

2017 – Zita Čepaitė, “Žvilgsnis, tyrinėjantis tylos būsenas ir kruvinus konfliktus“, in: Kultūros barai, no. 1, 2017

2016 – Charlotte Harding, “Visible Memories: Reclaiming the relics of the Soviet era”, in: The British Journal of Photography, 2016-09-22

2016 – Hinde Haest, “A Visual History of Violence”, in: foam, 2016-09-13

2016 – Živilė Kasparavičiūtė, “Indrė Šerpytytė - Roberts: turime savimi didžiuotis”, in: londoniete.com, 2016-09-20

2016  – Blake Gopnik, “At MoMA, Indrė Šerpytytė Points Out Torture Sites “, in: artnet.com, 2016-01-21

2015 – Evita Goze, “Interview with Indre Šerpytytė”, in: FK Magazine, 2015-08-24

2015 – Jane Singer, “Indrė Šerpytytė”, in: Fitzrovia Journal, 2015

2014 – Dr. Binoy Kampmark, “Receding into Memory: War Photography at the Tate Modern”, in: Global Research, 2014-12-02

2014 – “TateShots: Indre Serpytyte”, video, 2014 

2013 – Rory Duckhouse, ”Indre Serpytyte: Solo Exhibition”, in: photomonitor.co.uk, 2013

2012 – Brian Dillon, Moments of Reprieve: Representing Loss in Contemporary Photography, in: Frieze, issue 150, 2012-10-01

2012 – Marco Bohr, Moments of Reprieve: Representing Loss in Contemporary Photography, in: photomonitor.co.uk, 2012-05

2010 – Joerg Colberg, “A Conversation with Indre Serpytyte”, in: Conscientious, 2010

2010 – Patrick Burgoyne, “Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography”, in: creativereview.co.uk, 2010-03-01

2009 – “Indre Serpytyte: A State of Silence”, in: OjodePez, no. 17

2007 – Dalia Cidzikaitė, “Nevienareikšmė fotografės I. Šerpytytės tyla”, in: Draugas, 2007-03-31