A couple in the street
| Author: | Jonas Švažas (1925–1976) |
A painter and teacher, Jonas Švažas was born on 5 August 1925 in the village of Urvikiai in the Mažeikiai district. He studied painting between 1946 and 1953 at Vilnius Art Institute (later renamed the State Art Institute of Lithuania) under Vytautas Mackevičius. He studied mural mosaics for a year under Rimtas Kalpokas at Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, where he became acquainted with Vytautas Kairiūkštis and was influenced by his views on art. After graduating, he stayed on to teach painting at the institute. He began to participate in exhibitions in 1953. Between 1953 and 1959 he was chairman of the Young Artists’ Section of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association. Between 1959 and 1969, and 1973 and 1975, he was chairman of the board of the Painters’ Section of the association. He held several solo exhibitions in Vilnius (1965, 1969), Riga (1970) and Kaunas (1971). His works were displayed in European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan. Jonas Švažas initiated the Vilnius Painting Triennials (the first was in 1969). He won the Lithuanian State Award in 1975. Posthumous exhibitions of his work were held in Vilnius (1977, 1995), Moscow (1978), Sweden (1980) and Austria (1980–1981). He died on 14 December 1976 in Vilnius.
Source: Valiunas Ellex (LAWIN until 2015) art album: THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES II (2013). Compiler and author Nijolė Tumėnienė.
A painter and teacher, Jonas Švažas was born on 5 August 1925 in the village of Urvikiai in the Mažeikiai district. He studied painting between 1946 and 1953 at Vilnius Art Institute (later renamed the State Art Institute of Lithuania) under Vytautas Mackevičius. He studied mural mosaics for a year under Rimtas Kalpokas at Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, where he became acquainted with Vytautas Kairiūkštis and was influenced by his views on art. After graduating, he stayed on to teach painting at the institute. He began to participate in exhibitions in 1953. Between 1953 and 1959 he was chairman of the Young Artists’ Section of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association. Between 1959 and 1969, and 1973 and 1975, he was chairman of the board of the Painters’ Section of the association. He held several solo exhibitions in Vilnius (1965, 1969), Riga (1970) and Kaunas (1971). His works were displayed in European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan. Jonas Švažas initiated the Vilnius Painting Triennials (the first was in 1969). He won the Lithuanian State Award in 1975. Posthumous exhibitions of his work were held in Vilnius (1977, 1995), Moscow (1978), Sweden (1980) and Austria (1980–1981). He died on 14 December 1976 in Vilnius.
Source: Valiunas Ellex (LAWIN until 2015) art album: THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES II (2013). Compiler and author Nijolė Tumėnienė.
