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InspirationIllustration

Illustrator Egle Zvirblyte takes over an island with hand-painted sculptures to celebrate its culture

Lithuanian artist and illustrator Egle Zvirblyte has launched a large-scale, site-specific installation of six works on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands for Drop Everything, a contemporary cultural biennale held this May.

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Hand-painted black cat character with red hair and blue boots holding pink and blue objects, positioned on rocky ground, part of Egle Zvirblyte's installation on Inis Oírr

Egle took inspiration from the island’s people, history, and previous iterations of Drop Everything, to create a cast of characters to place throughout the landscape. With the great shipwrecking of the cargo vessel, The Plassey, in mind, Egle’s characters can be seen with whiskey, toilet bowls and shoes in hand, making off with their loot. Then there’s the local gentleman, tin whistle in hand, entertaining the islanders and visitors with his musical skill.

Ranging in size from eight to 16-feet tall, and hand-painted in bright colours, Egle’s sculptures can be seen from a distance, and make an impression against the dramatic landscape of this unique and rugged island. Egle’s works will be in situ on Inis Oírr until Friday 1 June 2018.

"I wanted to inhabit the island with bonkers characters that stem from the mythology of the place, that were born and bred by the stories of the locals and the natural setting of Inis Oírr," she explains. "Hopefully these new inhabitants will add to the island's narrative and become protagonists of new tales to be passed on!"

Egle collaborated with Hen's Teeth, a gallery and art and lifestyle store for the project. You can see more of her work at eglezvirblyte.com.

Two large yellow and black hand-painted banana-shaped characters with raised fists stand on a beach, part of Egle Zvirblyte's site-specific installation on Inis Oírr
Colourful hand-painted sculpture of a red figure with a yellow circular head on rocky coastal landscape overlooking blue sea
Colourful hand-painted sculpture of a character with yellow spiky hair and red features lying on grey rocks, with a rusted shipwreck visible behind it
Bright yellow and red hand-painted sculpture of a mythological creature with spiky features set against a rusted shipwreck and rocks on Inis Oírr island
Bright yellow hand-painted sculpture with black stripes, white belly and red mouth, depicting a character from Egle Zvirblyte's installation on Inis Oírr island
Colourful hand-painted sculpture of stacked characters in red, blue and yellow standing on grass before a historic stone tower on Inis Oírr
Egle Zvirblyte's hand-painted wooden sculpture of stacked characters in red, blue and yellow standing on grass beside ancient stone ruins on Inis Oírr
Two bright yellow hand-painted sculptures with black limbs and red feet stand on rocky terrain with green vegetation on Inis Oírr island
Colourful hand-painted sculpture by Egle Zvirblyte depicting a figure in a blue shirt and tan trousers sitting on a green bench, positioned in a grassy area beside a stone building on Inis Oírr
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