Fast Like a Wind

Algirdas Zibalis, born in 1960 in Šiauliai, Lithuania, is currently employed as a teacher. His deep connection to his homeland profoundly shapes his artistic perspective, which remains closely intertwined with the Lithuanian landscape and its nuanced seasonal transformations. Both his professional path and ongoing contribution to art education reveal Zibalis’s strong commitment to his craft.

Zibalis began his artistic training at the Faculty of Arts at the Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute, which today operates as the Faculty of Arts of Šiauliai University. There, he developed the fundamental knowledge and skills essential to his career in art, and took his initial steps as an independent creator. The academic setting played a significant role in refining both his technical skills and artistic worldview.

He is particularly celebrated for his expertise in watercolour, especially in landscapes. Zibalis’s works express emotional interpretations of well-known scenes—silhouetted trees against the sky, soft hills, and the play of wind. His transparent hues and dynamic brushstrokes vividly portray the rhythms of Lithuanian nature, elevating commonplace subjects into energetic, poetic artworks. Water frequently serves as his main inspiration, and he often investigates its ever-changing moods and appearances, considering nature itself to be his most important source of creativity.

Over the course of his career, Algirdas Zibalis has staged over 25 solo exhibitions in Lithuania, including in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and additional cities. Beyond Lithuania, his work has appeared in renowned exhibitions in Italy, Finland, and France, where he has been recognized for his achievements in watercolour. His pieces have been included in events such as the “Esde” exhibitions in Sardinia, the International Watercolour Exhibition IWS in Helsinki, and the Pyrenees Watercolour Competition in France. In 2021, he received a diploma for high excellence at the latter event and was ranked among the 30 leading artists in 2023. Zibalis is a member of both the Lithuanian Artists' Union and the Lithuanian Folk Artists' Union, and in 2011, he was officially granted the title of art creator.