Vytautas Stakutis-TRAFIK Lithuanian, b. 1990

Vytautas Stakutis-TRAFIK is an artist, painter and illustrator based in Vilnius. Working in different mediums, he usually keeps a flat, geometric style. His work explores the human condition by concentrating on objects, surroundings and atmosphere of everyday life, finding points of contrast, paradox or playfulness in it. Urban art and lifestyle are common themes in his work as it merges nature and culture and separates them at the same time.

In a new series of artworks named "SKIN", the artist explores the urban landscape at the slow pace of a pedestrian, capturing everyday visually appealing details with a camera and integrating different layers of the uncanny into the city map in paintings based on photographs. Streets under repair, abandoned cars, everyday utilitarian objects painted in light, bright colours, flooded with warm light, are in the centre of attention and come to life in the imaginatio,n avoiding oblivion. In painting the overturned car, "flips" in the air and continues to move forward. A fender hung to dry – the car's skin hanging unnaturally in the air – is not a sign of vulnerability, but of resilience. Leather car seats support each other like two people hugging each other, comically giving human qualities to the object that creates a bubble of comfort for the passengers. To go beyond comfort, to see more than the tunnels of car routes is TRAFIK’S goal during his daily walks. When visiting the peripheries, choosing a more complicated and picturesque path, thick skin and endurance accumulated during creative practice come in handy for the artist.