The author has finished textile studies in Vilnius art academy, Kaunas faculty, here she get art licensee‘s degree. She studied in Esmod school, in Paris (France), in Bergen art academy (Norway). She participated in many creative workshops, symposiums, conferences in Florence (Italy), Izmir (Turkey), Tehran (Iran), Moscow (Russia), Bergen (Norway), London (the United Kingdom), Tallinn (Estonia), Cork (Ireland), etc. Since 2009 she has been an associate professor of Vilnius art academy, Kaunas faculty, Textile department. M. Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė not only teaches but, also, implements educational projects, she is an active member of exhibitions life. Since 2011 the artist is a member and a creator of Kaunas biennial board. She actively organizes personal exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad, participates in art projects. Her works have been presented in various galleries and museums of the World: Poland, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the USA and elsewhere. Her works have been get by private collectors in Lithuania and abroad. The artist has been awarded some local and international prizes: for the best installation of the year (“Skladukas“, 2010), get diplomas for pieces “Pričioska“ (2007), “Generations“ (2009), “Breathing“ (2010), “Birth“ (2011), “Pixels rise“ (2013).
In the online gallerie‘s site Monika Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė present the latest cycle of tapestries “Garments“. (Gallerie‘s information)
M. Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė represents the modern art of textile. In her works, which are inherent a conceptual attitude to textile, esthetics and high performance‘s quality, the synthesis of traditional expression‘s measures and modern performance‘s technologies is spreading. The author‘s works are often based on sensitive, attentive human and his life processes observation. Her textile reality – another important stop in modern Kaunas and international art context. “After I carefully took a good look at Monika‘s works and art critical texts, dedicated to her creation work, in which she was awarded the epithets of “textile architect“, “the master of computer‘s jacquard weaving“, I were looking for a distinctive viewing angle. So the basis of my searches is a particular flair or a hypothetical assumption, which gradually developed to interdisciplinary or comparative research“. To creation work of the women it is inherent a tactile thinking (sensuality and intimate creative world, where the touch and distinctive thoughts and associations knitting, weave are important). The tactile sensation can be expressed differently. The textile is an ideal sphere, which lets in tradition hidden female experience, femininity, as a shape of existence, open. It is the speaking about women creation work, as a sphere, it has certain connective aspects and signs, although, in women creation work the questions are not only feminine but, also, universal. The creation work of M. Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė opens and highlights the textile reality, which is woven from human physical, psychological and social texture‘s threads.
Art critic, dr. of the humanities Odeta Žukauskienė.
