19 listopada 2025

Interview for the Boynes Artist Award

Q&A with winning artist Gaya Lastovjak

Written by Chantal Boynes

Who are you?

My name is Gaya Lastovjak. I was born in 1987 in Lithuania but spent most of my life in Poland. Currently, I work and live in Krakow. I consider myself as a contemporary figurative artist, because I do not limit myself to a specific field of art, such as painting, sculpture or happenings, they are all important to me and they are all connected by one subject – human.

Most often, however, I focus on creating three-dimensional paintings using my own technique, combining paper mache, canvas, and oil paint, supplemented from time to time with new elements such as rope, moss or metal mesh, which enrich the meaning of the works. The departure from the traditional range of colors in favor of white allows for perfect accentuation of light and shade, which changes with the time of day. My works balance between painting and sculpture, giving both disciplines a new dimension.

Although I hold a master's degree in art history, I have based my artistic development on self-directed learning complemented by intensive searches for my own artistic language, inspired by observing everything created by human beings.