Monika Vaicenavičienė Monika Vaicenavičienė
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12 Jun 2018

Featured in The Guardian

The Guardian’s entertaining account of the World Illustration Awards featuring my illustration:

https:/www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2018/jun/08/a-riot-of-fun-and-fables-world-illustration-awards-2018-in-pictures

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The NEWS currently is not updated often. To see the latest happenings, please see Monika's Instagram page.

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monikavaicenaviciene

monikavaicenaviciene
✼ ✺ ❁ My online shop is open! ❁ ✺ ✼ Cu ✼ ✺ ❁ My online shop is open! ❁ ✺ ✼ Currently, you can find there a small selection of limited edition giclée prints from my book ‘What Is A River?’. Two of them are rather large! All textured, vibrant, and archival. These prints have been sitting at my studio for some time, and finally, you can order them online if you wish! I hope to add more artworks in the future, so if interested, please stop by at   https://shop.monikavaicenaviciene.com/   Or you can go through my webpage in my bio. ❂ ☻ ✿
What Is A River? picked as one of 8 children's boo What Is A River? picked as one of 8 children's books for 🌏 Earth Day 🌍 which is 🌎 today! Best wishes for all of us to care for our planet as much as we can. #whatisariver @nytbooks @enchantedlion #earthday
🕵️👩‍🎨 Wonderful to learn that my and 🕵️👩‍🎨 Wonderful to learn that my and my sister‘s book about the city of Vilnius and narratives emerging from the peculiar geography of its streets "GATVIŲ SUSITIKIMAI" selected as the most beautiful children‘s book of the year 2020 in Lithuania by the Ministry of Culture! 🚸🤝 Taip gražiai įvardinta: „už plastišką teksto ir vaizdo pulsavimą bei išradingą istorijos faktų ir gatvių vardų susitikimą knygoje“!   #knygosmenokonkursas2020 #gatviųsusitikimai #auksozuvys
Lithuanian Books of the Year 2020 |Mano knyga „K Lithuanian Books of the Year 2020 |Mano knyga „Kas yra upė“ pateko į Metų knygos 2020 rinkimus. O balsavimas – žiū, jau tuoj ir baigsis. ✿ Rytoj! ✿ Tad tokios vakaro žinios ir trumpas intarpas šia proga. Knygų vaikams kategorijoje dalyvauja 5 knygos, o balsuoti irgi galima 5 kartus čionai: http://www.skaitymometai.lt/index.php?1452040833   Ačiū, mieli skaitytojai. Foto: Vygaudas Juozaitis #kasyraupė #metųknygosrinkimai2020
A little more content in Lithuanian about my book A little more content in Lithuanian about my book What Is a River? ➰ Norėjau pasidalinti savo straipsniu apie knygos „Kas yra upė?“ atsiradimą ➰ Ten gan išsamiai pasakoju apie knygos idėjas, kūrimo procesą, tyrimą; su eskizais, schemomis, nepanaudotais piešiniais, nuotraukomis ir pora sentimentalių senienų. Kam įdomu, žvilgtelkite www.knygukurejai.lt
Yesterday I won Premio Andersen for the Italian ed Yesterday I won Premio Andersen for the Italian edition of my book Che cos’è un fiume? (What Is a River?). That’s how the jury motivated their decision: ⋒ “For having shown admirably how different and stimulating the ways of divulging can be. For the persuasive and peaceful beauty of the images which, page after page, interpret and at the same time reveal. For a careful and curious look that addresses the theme from a rich plurality of points of view.” ⋓ Thank you for these words @andersenlarivista, thank you my publishers @topipittori, thank you my Italian readers! I feel grateful, amazed and humbled to have received this prestigious award. ☻ If you want to see the whole prize video: ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV4rM8mXY9U The national TV screened an interview with me about the book on this occasion (with some glimpses of my studio): ➤ https://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/irasas/2000112288/uz-geriausia-ne-grozine-knyga-vaikams-monika-vaicenaviciene-paskelbta-anderseno-premijos-laureate (in Lithuanian)
❂ KNYGIUKAI ❂ is a collection of mini books fo ❂ KNYGIUKAI ❂ is a collection of mini books for kids created by a bunch Lithuanian writers and illustrators. It is a project born out of wish to share the delight of telling stories, and reach out to those whom books and the joy of reading often bypass, especially in these strange times. From June 1, 2020, all the stories will be freely available to download from www.vaikuzeme.lt, print out and fold into a small booklets for everyone to read and share. • Here is a mini book I created after a short story by writer Neringa Vaitkutė called ✵ A DOG OF STARS ✵ – it’s about dogs, stars, friendship, and longing. Swipe for some process and inside pics. 〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️ ❂ KNYGIUKAI ❂ yra IBBY Lietuvos skyriaus, organizacijos Vaikų žemė ir Vaiko psichologijos centro sumanyta dovana vaikams, įgyvendinta būrio iliustruotojų ir rašytojų duetų. Tai trumpos istorijos 4-9 metų vaikams, papasakotos iš vieno A4 formato lapo išlankstomoje knygelėje. Nuo birželio 1 d., Tarptautinės vaikų gynimo dienos, iš Vaikų žemės internetinės svetainės ☞ www.vaikuzeme.lt knygiukus galės atsisiųsti ir išsispausdinti visi norintys. O ten jų bus gal net kokių 30! • Štai čia mano knygiukas ✵ ŽVAIGŽDŽIŲ ŠUNELIS ✵, kurį sukūrėme drauge su rašytoja Neringa Vaitkute – apie šunis, draugystę ir ilgesį – ir šiek tiek jo kūrimo pašalių. • Knygiukų mintis pirmiausia radosi trijų šaunuolių moteriškių, knygų mylėtojų psichologės dr. Monikos Skerytės-Kazlauskienės, literatūrologės Ingos Mitunevičiūtės ir knygų kūrėjos Kotrynos Zylės dėka. Knygiukai visų kūrėjų kurti neatlygintinai, iš noro dalintis istorijų pasakojimo džiaugsmu ir pasiekti tuos, kuriuos knygos ir ramus skaitymo būvis dažnai aplenkia – ir šiuo karantino laikotarpiu, ir apskritai. ♡ Tad prašom dalintis. • @vaikuzeme @kotrynazyle #knygiukai #knygiukaiįpagalbąvaikams #neringavaitkutė #žvaigždžiųšunelis
A few days ago @picturebookmakers announced the sp A few days ago @picturebookmakers announced the spring collection of The 100 Outstanding Picturebooks. It’s an honour and joy to see my book ‘What Is a River?’ included again. You may visit ⥤ dpic.co/100OP and check this wonderful collection of books from around the world! ☼ Thank you dPICTUS, and all the guest curators Martin Salisbury (@profmartinsalisbury), Yukiko Hiromatsu (@yukisse), Ulla Rhedin, Leonard Marcus, Ilaria Tontardini (@ilariatontardini), Jiwone Lee (@ljiwone), Sophie Van der Linden (@svdl) and Bernd Mölck-Tassel. ☼ (Illustration from 'Waiting for Walt' by Daniel Fehr & Maja Celija – Orecchio Acerbo (@orecchioacerbo), Italy). #100outstandingpicturebooks #dpictus #picturebookmakers #whatisariver #vadärenflod
And a bit about lions. ⊰ While still Vstudying a And a bit about lions. ⊰ While still Vstudying at Konstfack, as part of a university tour, me and my classmates were shown beautiful items held in Konstfack’s library. Among other things, the librarian showed us collections of documentation of traditional Swedish crafts. There was a woven textile piece from Skåne region with a lion between flowers and architecture (I drew a little sketch of the style, it is called ‘flamskväv’ – it’s just beautiful). Apparently, a lion was a common 19th century folk tapestry motive, coming probably from biblical imagery, but over time often used without specific references, incorporated into geometrical and floral arrangements. Why was a lion such a favourite? How did they find home in the houses and imaginations of people of this Northen region? ⊰ Jonas Basanavičius, in the beginning of the 20th century Lithuania, was preoccupied with lions as well. One of the books he published is called ‘A Lion in Lithuanian Fairytales and Songs’. Among his other works – chairing the Council of Lithuania in 1918, being the editor of the first Lithuanian newspaper, founding the Lithuanian Scientific Society – many things. ⊰ On this cardboard lion I’ve written down one of the tales from that book and an excerpt from Basanavičius’ autobiography in which he retells how, when still a schoolboy in a province town in Lithuania, he had sneaked out one night to listen to lions roaring in a visiting menagerie. ⊰ I drew this scene in my picture book about Jonas Basanavičius. And I included a lion in the illustration where he, an accomplished medical doctor and publicist, sitting by a window in his Prague flat, dreams about the spirit of Lithuania brightening up, enlightening. ⊰ Basanavičius found a lot of meaning in collecting and preserving folklore, he visited people in villages and recorded their tales, and encouraged others to do likewise. While creating the book, I tried to find an answer for myself why that was so important for him, and how – or if – fairytales related to his state-building career. I like to imagine that he dreamt about a country where all kinds of creatures would coexist together - that such a country he carried in his heart.
This cardboard cut-out with letters from Lithuania This cardboard cut-out with letters from Lithuanian alphabet I made for one of the workshops about my book ‘Per balas link aušros (Through Puddles Towards Dawn, in English)’. It’s a picture book biography about a man called Jonas Basanavičius, a person who, in the beginning of the 20th century, was one of the people that helped to achieve the independence of Lithuania and made many other important contributions to Lithuanian culture and science. I made the bird to help me talk with children about animals, birds specifically, in Basanavičius’ life. ⩔ Basanavičius befriended his future wife while observing how she played with her pet canary. Working as a physician in Bulgaria, Basanavičius kept with him a small zoo; he had a swan, a falcon, an eagle, and an owl (later, he had the owl stuffed and took it with him back to Lithuania; the owl could still be found in one of the museums in Lithuania). The diacritical marks on the Lithuanians letters č, š, ž, which came into mainstream usage around Basanavičius’ times, are referred in Lithuanian as ‘little birdies’, or ‘crows’. ⩔ @tikra_knyga #perbalaslinkaušros
Vilnius Book Fair 2020 has passed. ✼ Thanks for Vilnius Book Fair 2020 has passed. ✼ Thanks for everyone who came by and shared their thoughts about my books; for everyone who drew their streets together with us; for my friends and colleagues, Lithuanian children’s book creators @linaitagaki, @menulisyranulis, @kotrynazyle, @_elena_selena, @vilija.kvieskaite, @benasraso, @kestutistuff, - it was sweet to meet you even if briefly; for my Lithuanian publishers @tikraknyga and @aukso_zuvys; for IBBY Lietuva – my book “Kas yra upė?” has been nominated as the best non-fiction and the most beautiful book of the year for children, a lovely surprise!; for all the volunteers and organisers; and, of course, for my dear sister Agnė. ✼ Here, a few pictures! #gatviųsusitikimai #kasyraupė #monikavaicenavičienė #agnėulytė #ibbylietuva #vilniausknygųmugė2020
Some info about the upcoming Vilnius Book Fair 202 Some info about the upcoming Vilnius Book Fair 2020: ❦ Kviečiu susitikti Vilniaus knygų mugėje jau šį šeštadienį ir sekmadienį: ❦ Šeštadienį, vasario 22 d. • 12:00-13:00 | Aukso žuvys 4.04 | GATVIŲ SUSITIKIMAI | Kartu su Agne Ulyte bendrausime su skaitytojais, dalinsime autografus. 15:00-16:00 | Tikra knyga 4.13 | KAS YRA UPĖ? (pagaliau lietuvių kalba!) ir PER BALAS LINK AUŠROS | Bendrausiu su skaitytojais, dalinsiu autografus. ❦ Sekmadienį, vasario 23 d. • 12:00-13:00 ir 13:30-14:30 | Kūrybos erdvė be formulių | GATVIŲ SUSITIKIMAI | Kartu su Agne Ulyte pristatysime savo naują knygą „Gatvių susitikimai. O kas, jeigu Vilniaus gatvės šnekėtųsi?” ir surengsime kūrybines dirbtuves apie Vilniaus gatvių istorijas! Daugiau apie šį renginį: https://www.facebook.com/events/537727213617009/ • 15:00-16:00 | Aukso žuvys 4.04 | Kartu su Kartu su Agne Ulyte bendrausime su skaitytojais, dalinsime autografus ❦ #kasyraupė #gatviųsusitikimai #perbalaslinkaušros #monikavaicenaviciene #agnėulytė #tikraknyga #auksozuvys @tikra_knyga @aukso_zuvys
This is me, on the left, and my sister Agnė Ulytė, on the right. And, if you swipe to see other pictures, you may see us on some pages of ⨳ Gatvių susitikimai (The Meetings of the Streets) ⨳ (the portrait of Agnė on the second pic, and the comic in the fourth are drawn by Agnė, others by me) . We’ve been working on this book (which will be out very soon!) together – and that was of course the funniest part of it. ⟐ This book beginning of our book was a comics blog www.gatviususitikimai.lt which we created together some years ago with our friend Živilė Miežytė to explore histories of Vilnius through the names of its streets. ⟐ Me and my sister have been born in Vilnius and grown up in a neighborhood called Žvėrynas (which translates something like Menagerie). I think we have felt acutely since our childhood that this funny, blunt and even a little menacing name concealed interesting stories. Names of streets of Žvėrynas have their own peculiarities. On our way to school, we were accompanied by beasts of Lithuanian forests and Grand Dukes from the Middle–Ages. I have a feeling this company contributed to a notion I still hold: of being friends with some historical figures, and of looking for nature around me, nature which is always there, although sometimes invisible. ⟐ But this book is not about us, this book is about historical people of Vilnius, women and men, and also other creatures. This book is an invitation to join our promenade through the city, stopping by and listening to the conversations echoing at the crossroads – ☻how we had heard them – and imagine your own. #gatviųsusitikimai #agnėulytė #monikavaicenavičienė @aukso_zuvys
Gatvių susitikimai, or The Meetings of the Street Gatvių susitikimai, or The Meetings of the Streets ⪪(see more about this upcoming book in my previous post )⪫ – started with a selection of specific colours we chose for our drawings. A variety of recycled-paper brown for the backgrounds, black, white, terracotta red – a colour of ripe ashberries, fire, clay tiles of Vilnius roofs, a sunny afternoon, a piece of amber with fossilized insects, a piece of hardened time – and also, some periwinkle blue for accent, and for the flow of water, time and stories in the city. ⟐ Have you ever thought about what colours meet in your neighbourhood, at your favourite places? What do they tell you? #gatviųsusitikimai #agnėulytė #monikavaicenavičienė @aukso_zuvys
Over the summer and well into the autumn I was wor Over the summer and well into the autumn I was working on a project called ⨳ Gatvių susitikimai (In English, Meetings of Streets) ⨳ – a book of comics and little essays about Vilnius, my hometown, and narratives created by its geography. I have been working on it with my sister Agne Ulyte. ⟐ The book is our take on a peculiar question – What would streets talk about when they meet at a junction? Streets, or rather, their names, are of different nature: people, animals, plants, mythological creatures, places, celestial bodies, events, feelings – all kinds of characters! Names of streets act like little windows into different times, experiences, dreams, visions. Our comics are glimpses of such imaginary conversations happening when streets meet. ⟐ What their dialogues could tell us about manifold heritages of Vilnius, about the layers of history and power accumulated in the city map? ⟐ The book is being published by @aukso_zuvys, and will be released very soon, at the Vilnius Book Fair this week! ◘ More news on that ere long, for now – some creation process pics. #gatviųsusitikimai #agnėulytė #monikavaicenaviciene @aukso_zuvys
Last weekend I participated in the opening of the Last weekend I participated in the opening of the exhibition of my illustrations “En flöd av berättelser” at the Nordic Library in Helsinki. ⩬ The exhibition is not big – but acts as a starting point to a program of workshops and activities prepared by the Nordic Library and teaching students from Helsinki university for children about their own river memories, environment and climate. ⩬ I did some crafts with kids too – small river books. Swipe for a little rough scheme if you want to try yourself, and take a look at a lovely book made by Aura. ⩬ Another part of the event was Johanna Sandin’s exhibition “Washed Ashore” – photos of objects, found on the beaches of Hanko, Finland. ⩬ The exhibition is on until March 28. ⩬ Thank you for the invitation, Nordisk Kulturkontakt. | Photo credit: Heidi Orava, Nordisk Kulturkontakt. @nordiskkulturkontakt @bokforlagetopal #enflödavberättelser #vadärenflod
A short notice - I will be at Paris Montreuil chil A short notice - I will be at Paris Montreuil children’s book fair tomorrow and a day after: 〰️ November 28, Thursday ☞ 14:30-16:00 | Workshops with me and two other Lithuanian artists – Lina Itagaki and Jurga Vile, authors of a wonderful graphic novel ‘Siberian Haiku’ ☞ 16:00-18:00 | Book signing at @cambourakis 〰️ November 29, Friday ☞ 9:30 | Masterclass with me, moderated by Géraldine Chognard ☞ 13:00-15:00 | Book signing at @cambourakis 〰️ Please come by if you are there!
A few images with a paper river landscape I made f A few images with a paper river landscape I made for my storytelling event at the children’s book festival in Vilnius ~ Visi mes gyvename pasroviui – arba aukščiau prieš srovę – vieni nuo kitų, visus mus upės paverčia kaimynais: laikus, kraštus, kultūras, visokius sutvėrimus. Čia – popierinės mano upių istorijų kaimynystės nuotrupos, kurias įkurdinau praėjusį savaitgalį @vaikuknygusala. Ačiū visiems, kas atėjote pasiklausyti mano pasakojimų, kalbinote, domėjotės. Ačiū @kotrynazyle , @justinasvancevicius, @eglekiz, savanoriams už visa knygų šventės ruošą ir džiugesį. Mano pasakojamosios dokumentikos paveikslėlių knyga „Kas yra upė“ lietuvių kalba turėtų pasirodyti jau greitai. #kasyraupė #whatisariver #vadärenflod
Invitation to an event in Vilnius! ✵ Šį savait Invitation to an event in Vilnius! ✵ Šį savaitgalį Mokytojų namuose vyksiantis vaikų literatūros festivalis @vaikuknygusala kviečia į susitikimą - o tiksliau, į ekspediciją - su manimi: • Monika Vaicenavičienė – knygos „Kas yra upė?“ (leidykla @tikraknyga) autorė – papasakos, kaip upių istorijos suplaukė į knygą, pasidalins įvairiausiomis geografinėmis, istorinėmis, mitologinėmis upių įdomybėmis – bei pakvies į ekspediciją, kurios metu patys ieškosime savo atsakymo, kas gi ta upė. Sutiksime mįslingus pavidalą keičiančius upių delfinus, užkariautojus konkistadorus, Gango piligrimus, žuvis, senesnes už dinozaurus… • Lietuvių kalba knyga turėtų pasirodyti jau tuoj tuoj – gruodžio mėnesį. Bet atėję į susitikimą, jau galėsite užrašyti savo vardą – ir paskui gauti knygą su mano parašu. • Bilietą į dviejų dalių festivalį (kuriame bus ir daugybė kitų įdomybių!) galima įsigyti internetu arba prieš renginį – arba galima persirengti savo mėgstamu knygų personažu ir užeiti nemokamai. • Čia nuoroda (jei praverstų): https://www.facebook.com/events/513970352666703/ ⌂⥾☼♫↟❁⊰ Iki!
Svajoti means to daydream in Lithuania. It is an i Svajoti means to daydream in Lithuania. It is an island of far-ness, and therefore its map is blue like evening forests and distant sky. This is a dusky, misty island, moistened with dew from meadows and fog from valleys, and that makes it hard to see it clearly. ✥ Map of Svajoti, my imagined island from “Archipelago: An Atlas of Imagined Islands” edited by @huwlewisjones and published by @thamesandhudson. #imaginedislands #map #svajoti
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