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Appias Albina
Appias is a Lithuanian printmaker, illustrator and graphic designer. She creates in her own technique, which is based on thermal transfer of textures using a hot iron and carbon copy paper. Her style draws much of its inspiration from Scientific Illustration, Natural History, and the traditions of Oriental art. Her art speaks through the themes of wildlife, botany and archeology.
Appias Albina (real name Jevgenija Jones) is Lithuanian graphic artist and designer based in Alicante, Spain. After earning a Master's degree in Arts at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, she worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, jewellery-maker, audiovisual collaborator, and next to this she developed her own technique in printmaking. This eclectic background gave her a unique point of view through which she approaches her art, and continues to inspire her tendency towards exploration and experimentation.
Appias works in several different fields and, in addition to one-time experiments, is a permanent collaborator on several art teams. Her works can be seen at solo and group exhibitions in various countries.
Appias is known for her signature carbon monotype technique (printmaking), which is based on carbon-copy paper thermal transferring. Using carbon paper and heat from an iron, she transfers the smallest details and textures created by both man and nature onto paper, organising them into the well-defined shapes. Appias is creating highly detailed figurative images, and the central subject in her art are animals or zoomorphic/anthropomorphic creatures. She seeks to capture the bodily expression and nature of the object she creates. An important part of her style is the visual texture of the object it is made of. She makes unusual choices of patterns, what gives a special sounding and brings dynamic to simple animalistic shapes.
In 2017 Appias joined audiovisual-art project Moon Armada (founder Honest Kevin, USA), which is focused on creating abstract musical instruments that emphasize experimentation, and esoteric aesthetics. Their experimental gear brand is known for creating sound and musical instruments with unorthodox designs, housing the circuitry in non standard enclosures.
In 2021, Appias teamed up with darkroom artist Lang (USA) to create the art duo SOUP, a site-specific art project that combines printmaking, photography and light art. The environmental art form they have created allows them to explore lost or abandoned places in new ways and convey their visual stories to audiences.
As a graphic designer and illustrator Appias is working with various clients and collectives, such as Unesco, Hijos de Rivera, Yarza Twins, Ignitis, Sviesa publisher, Studio Libre, Zenitechas, Lithuanian National Museum of Art and others.
Some of her main sources of inspiration are travel, a deep passion for scientific and natural history illustration, and love for many types of textures - from organic textures of elementary everyday objects to the immense textures of abandoned towns.
Carbon monotype
My process for making art has the spirit of recording. I always collect prints of patterns around me. I collect grass, leaves, fabric and plastic pieces everywhere I go, so I can iron it to make a transportable copy of that surface. My carbon copy paper is always with me everywhere I travel. I store this library of copied nature to the moment I create a monotype.
The process of monotyping for me is also a process of going through hundreds of these visual "records", looking on them like x-rays in front of the light ; the process of examining and creating an image of the final result in my head. I hide, mix, and encrypt textures. I seek to create a pelican that consists of leaves, a moth from bubble wrap, or hot magnolias that will be imprints of north pine needles. I tear the copies of patterns I want to use, and make black shapes of them on white paper. Then I iron it the last time.
I never know if I imagined the final result correctly until I remove carbon copy-paper after ironing.
CV
Born in 1985 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Real name Jevgenija Jones.
A member of the Association of Estonian Printmakers since 2022
A member of the Lithuanian Design Association since 2021
Status of Lithuanian Creator from the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture since 2021
Education:
2009-2011 Masters of Arts, Graphic design / Vilnius Academy of Arts / Vilnius, Lithuania
2005-2009 Bachelor of Arts, Design / Vilnius Academy of Arts / Vilnius, Lithuania
residencies/ scholarships:
2022 Artist Residency / Muhu Print by Association of Estonian Printmakers / Muhu, Estonia
2021 Artist Residency / TYPA Printing and Paper Art Centre / Tartu, Estonia
2020 Scholarship for artistic activities / Lithuanian Council for Culture / Vilnius, Lithuania
2020 Artist Residency / 9th International Latgale Graphic Art Symposium / Mark Rothko Art Centre / Daugavpils, Latvia
Solo & Duo Exhibitions
2024 The Time / Młodzieżowy Dom Kultury nr 2 “Galeria Po 111 Schodach” / Lublin, Poland
2022 The Time / Craft Centre “Menu Kalve” / Druskininkai, Lithuania
2021 Atlas of Forgotten Memories (with Ksenia Shinkovskaya) / Daugavpils Clay Art Centre / Daugavpils, Latvia
2021 Tactile Vision / Esna Gallery / Esna, Estonia
2020 The Time (virtual) / The project was funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture / Vilnius, Lithuania
2020 Appias Albina solo / OBMJ exhibition space / Tallinn, Estonia
2018 The Far Shores (with Ksenia Shinkovskaya) / Art Cafe exhibition space / Vilnius, Lithuania
2017 Birds. Boats. / Ludwig Rhesa cultural center / Juodkrante, Lithuania
2015 Monochrome Stories / Novotel exhibition space / Vilnius, Lithuania
2012 Sovius / Supreme Court of Lithuania / Vilnius, Lithuania
Group Shows
2023 Traveling Letters ‘23: The Hologram / Titanic, Vilnius Academy of Arts / Vilnius, Lithuania
2023 Mirror - Face to Face / Tohisoo manor / Kohila, Estonia
2023 Mirror - Face to Face / Villa Caldogno Art Museum / Vicenza, Italy
2023 Muhuversum / GÜ gallery / Tallinn, Estonia
2022 Feminart / Est Art Space / Madrid, Spain
2021 Supernatural History Museum / Union of Artists / Saint Petersburg, Russia
2021 The Year of the Bull / Union of Artists / Saint Petersburg, Russia
2021 Collection of Conceptual Lithuanian Posters Of the 21-st Century / Titanic, Vilnius Academy of Arts / Vilnius, Lithuania
2021 2nd International Print Triennial (virtual) / Cieszyn, Poland
2020 The Phenomena of Natural Phenomena (virtual) / Boston, MA, USA
2020 Humanity in Quarantine (virtual) / Washington, DC, USA
2020 Art Without a Roof (virtual) / Vilnius, Lithuania
2020 Vladimir Nabokov’s House-museum / St.Petersburg, Russia
2019 American Design Club: Sound & Vision (as Moon Armada) / Times Square / New York City, USA
2019 Krake Music Festival (as Moon Armada) / Urban Spree / Berlin, Germany
2019 Enabled (as Moon Armada) / Kablys / Vilnius, Lithuania
2019 The Room of Fear / Union of Artists / Saint Petersburg, Russia
2019 Five Senses / Union of Artists / Saint Petersburg, Russia
2019 Glass Cocoon / Children Literature Centre / Tallinn, Estonia
2018 Glass Cocoon / Union of Artists, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2018 European Professional Doll Art Festival / Latvian Railway History Museum / Riga, Latvia
2018 Running with the Wolves / Union of Artists / Saint Petersburg, Russia
2018 Running with the Wolves / Children Literature Centre, Tallinn, Estonia
2018 Running with the Wolves / Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga, Latvia
2018 12+1 exhibition / Meno Parkas / Kaunas, Lithuania.
Bibliography
Artist talk: Mahendra Mahey talked to Appias Albina , British National Library's innovation laboratory, July 2021
Selected Images catalogue, Nemunas Art and culture magazine, Lithuania, February 2021
Appias Albina | Ep. 1 , Artist Podcast SMLT, Lithuania, 23 February 2021
In Conversation with Appias Albina, Аrt and culture magazine View of the Arts, Great Britain, 15 July 2020
Menininkė A.Albina: atrasti save įkvėpė pelikanai, Daily newspaper Kauno diena, Lithuania, 12 June 2020
Appias Albina. Jungtis tarp stilių ir žemynų. Nemunas Art and culture magazine, Lithuania, October 2017