photography / video / design

Jurginas Žilys was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. He graduated the State Academy of Arts in Vilnius in 1975 and became a professional designer. While studying at the Academy he felt in love with photography and started experimenting with various styles and techniques. Jurginas started using photography in his design projects and photography became his favorite expression of art. After a while he carried his camera everywhere he went and photography became inseparable part of his life. Jurginas, as a member of the Lithuanian Artist's and Designer's Unions, started working for advertising agencies creating logos, banners, posters, booklets and other advertising material. During his professional career he has created over 500 corporate, artistic and municipal logos, which are used by various companies, organizations, and artists in Europe. Over the years Jurginas participated in numerous photography exhibitions and artistic photography shows. One of his photographs “The Sacred Tree” has won a prize at the “American Photo” magazine competition and was published in the November/December, 1999 issue. At this time he is a freelance designer and photographer. Although he works for fashion magazines such as “Cosmopolitan”, fashion agencies and shows, artistic photography remains his favorite type of expression. According to his own account, in his pictures he tries to capture the "beauty of the moment," whatever and wherever it may be. Jurginas does not have any specific theme or subject for his artistic work, like many other artistic photographers do. To him the World is always full of Beauty. However, in most of the times it is either hidden, or it is obvious, but we don’t see it. The mastery of artistic photography is to bring this hidden beauty out, or point the obvious - the beauty open to all, but visible to only a few. Jurginas has specific view of the world, which does not have to be complicated to be beautiful. Many simple things around us radiate with beauty. You only have to stop for a moment, take a pause in your busy life, hold your breath, and look around. Jurginas is sure you will be able to see it as long as you are willing to do so. That is exactly what he is doing with his fabulous pictures. He captures the moment we probably wouldn’t even consider worthy and shows us its beauty. In many cases this moment is not just artistic, but also philosophical and captures some hidden inner intrigue of the object. He makes that moment permanent and enjoyable forever, leaving us to wonder how we could have missed it, if it was so obvious.

Giedrius Markus,

Producer