Lithuanian Culture Institute
Lithuanian Culture Institute
Illustrators

Eglė Gelažiūtė-Petrauskienė

Lithuanian Culture Institute
Eglė Gelažiūtė-Petrauskienė

I draw not only for children, but also for adults. I have been drawing since I was a child – I clearly remember when back then, using a simple pencil, I drew some sort of human being and suddenly saw that it looked as if it was alive, as if moving in space. I was surprised and happy. I cut it out and saved. I still remember that feeling, the feeling of drawing and getting joy out of it.

When drawing for a specific book, I always feel that the illustrations will be strictly evaluated through the eyes of children – my eldest son is now 8 and very critical. You can’t portray some house or bush, or a child’s mood the wrong way. And to make it look as it should be, you have to work hard. Sometimes as many as 10 rough drawings land in the rubbish bin before I obtain the necessary mood or movement. On the other hand, the best drawings are those which come out well at the first attempt. It’s as if they descend from above: all I do is hold the pencil and catch the mood! And here they come.

Born: January 14, 1974, Kaunas, Lithuania.
1995 BA from the Department of Graphic Arts, Vilnius Academy of Arts.
1997 MA from the Department of Photography and Video Art, Vilnius Academy of Arts.
2003 Member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association.
She currently lives and works in England.
CONTACTS
Stafford, UK
E-mail: egle.gelaziute@gmail.com
www.egleg.carbonmade.com
FIELDS OF ACTIVITY
The artist creates prints, installations, video projects, designs book covers and illustrates books.
EXHIBITIONS
Eglė Gelažiūtė – Petrauskienė has held 5 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous international exhibitions: 7th Biennial of Book Art, Vilnius, Lithuania (2000); 18th International Illustration Biennial, Bratislava, Slovak Republic (2001); Notebook, Pinkard Gallery, Bunting Centre, USA (2003); 20th International Illustration Biennial, Bratislava, Slovak Republic (2005).
“Illustrarium: Contemporary Lithuanian Children’s Book Illustration“, Bologna children’s book fair, Italy, 2011.
Travelling exhibition “Contemporary Lithuanian Children’s Book Illustration“, Italy, USA, Belgium, Luxembourg, 2013.
AWARDS
2000 the IBBY Lithuanian Section Award for the most artistically illustrated book for young adults – Day of Lies (Melų diena), Vilnius, Lithuania.

2001 Premium of The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books Competition for the book Prayers from Noah’s Ark (Maldos iš Nojaus Arkos), Vilnius, Lithuania.

2004 Diploma of The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books Competition for the book Little Silvermouse (Pelytė Sidabrytė), Vilnius, Lithuania.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bučinys. Sumaištis, bučiniai, katastrofos ir kt. (A Kiss. Confusion, Kisses, Catastrophes, etc.): [novels for girls], Vilnius: Alma littera 2002–2009.

Series Tėtė mama aštuoni vaikai ir sunkvežimis (Eight Children and a Truck): [story], 8 volumes, Vestly, Anne-Cath, Vilnius, Pasviręs pasaulis, 2004–2007.

Vikingų pagrobti (Captured by Vikings): [story], Torill Thorstad Hauger, Vilnius: Pasviręs pasaulis, 2008.

Norvegų pasakos (Norwegian Fairy-Tales), Vilnius: Pasviręs pasaulis, 2007.

Spalvotosios pasakos (Coloured Tales): [fairy-tales], Imants Ziedonis, Vilnius: Pasviręs pasaulis, 2006.

Čia buvo Mikas Hartas (Mick Harte Was Here): [novel], Barbara Park,Vilnius: Alma littera, 2006.

Ponas Klingzoras truputį mokėjo burti (Mr. Klingsor Knew a Little Charm): [story], Otfried Preussler, Vilnius: Alma littera, 2005.Pelytė Sidabrytė (Little Silvermouse): [fair-tale], Sigitas Geda, Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2004.

Mergaitės romanas (Girl’s Novel): [story], Bitė Vilimaitė, Vilnius: Gimtasis žodis, 2004.

Maldos iš Nojaus Arkos (Prayers from Noah’s Ark): [poems], Carmen Bernos de Gastold, Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2001.

Melų diena (Day of Lies) [short story], B. Kemoun, Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2000.

Muzika (Music): [textbook], Mira Jakubovskaja, Vilnius: Kronta, 1999.

Jūra yra sūri (The Sea is Salty): [short stories], Rimantas Černiauskas, Vilnius: Vyturys, 1997.