Indrė Šerpytytė

Indrė Šerpetytė is a Lithuanian artist based in London, UK whose work explores the themes of history, memory and culture. Working in the mediums of photography, sculpture, audio, film and more – she uncovers universal themes in seemingly individual historical events. Indrė’s early years in Lithuania and displacement to the UK serve as an important source of inspiration for her work, as she continues to focus on how politics and history influence the personal. Indrė Šerpetytė studied photography at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art. Her most recent exhibitions include Block Universe at the Venice Biennale, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Galerija Vartai, Parafin (all 2019); and Refugees: Forced to Flee at Imperial War Museum, London (2020) and Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11 at Imperial War Museum, London (2018).

Indrė Šerpetytė is a Lithuanian artist based in London, UK, whose work explores the themes of history, memory and culture. Working in the mediums of photography, sculpture, audio, film and more – she uncovers universal themes in seemingly individual historical events. Indrė’s early years in Lithuania and displacement to the UK serve as an important source of inspiration for her work, as she continues to focus on how politics and history influence the personal.

‘A State of Silence’, one of Indrė’s earliest projects, looks into the mysterious death of her father (and Lithuanian Head of Government Security) Albinas Serpytis. Indrė states that her father, and his life and death, have been “the subject of my indefatigable investigations.” For this project, Indrė captured what was left of her father: a hat, a briefcase and shredded paperwork, highlighting his “chilling absence” and the lack of explanation surrounding his death.

Indrė’s most recent installation for the ‘Refugees: Forced to Flee’ exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, looks at how hope and humanity can be depicted in the refugee crisis. Angered by the insensitive media coverage of the refugee crisis, Indrė set out to map individual passages across the Mediterranean in neon lights to symbolize the journeys made by thousands of refugees.

Indrė Šerpetytė studied photography at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art. Her most recent exhibitions include Block Universe at the Venice Biennale, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Galerija Vartai, Parafin (all 2019); and Refugees: Forced to Flee at Imperial War Museum, London (2020) and Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11 at Imperial War Museum, London (2018).

By Enez Nathié