Farewell to Biruta will take place in Žilina on November 5-9, 12:00-20:00, at the artist’s house, Pašvaistė st. 5, in Vilnius.
Visitation – Tuesday, November 5, from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Exhumation – Wednesday, November 6, 11 a.m.
Urn Visitation – Friday, November 8, from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The urn is removed – Saturday, November 9, at 12 noon.
Burial in Verkių cemetery, Ėžuolyno st. 24, in Vilnius.
Escort St. Mass (information to be announced later).
The artist was born in 1930. June 2 Nainiškiu village, Panevėžys district. Later, he and his family settled in Miežiškii, where he graduated from elementary school. Drawing, as she claims, was in her nature – early on, Birutė felt the power of imagination to create the world as she liked it.
Rainbows and sunsets led to the decision to paint in contrasting, bright colors. Even then, the first teachers drew attention to the little artist’s drawings, so they constantly “hired” her to draw the school’s wall newspaper, various greetings and decorations. In 1939, together with other students of her school, she visited the regained Vilnius for the first time.
In 1942, she entered the Panevėžys girls’ high school. The war years passed in Panevėžys. In 1947, after finishing the sixth grade, she got a job as a linotypist in the printing office of the newspaper “Voice of Panevėžio” – she collected letters for the newspaper. He also studied at Panevėžys adult gymnasium. However, her biggest dream was studying art in Vilnius.
In 1949, she entered the Vilnius Art Institute, majoring in graphics. Here B. Žilyte was taught by Irena Žebenkienė, Kazys Morkūnas, Petras Aleksandravičius, Jonas Kuzminskis, Antanas Kučas, Bronius Uogintas, Augustinas Savickas, Vladas Drėma and many others. She finished her studies in 1956 after defending her diploma thesis – a cycle of four-part etchings “At the Curonian Lagoon”.
In 1954, the artist began collaborating in the children’s magazine “Genys”, for which she regularly drew illustrations for ten years. At the same time, together with her husband, the artist Algirdas Steponavičius, she debuted as a book illustrator – their first joint work was the element book “ABC” by Vanda Jurgutienė and Liudvika Tomkytė. Over the course of three decades, together with her husband, she illustrated a dozen books.
Luko Balandios / 15min photo/Birutė Žylytė and Dalia Grybauskaitė
Among the most famous books illustrated by B. Žilytė are K. Jakubėna’s “Abėcėlė” (1958), Petros Cvirka’s “Rainiukai” (1962), Mykolas Sluckis’ “The Grateful Duck” (1964 and 1967, together with her husband), Aldona Liobytė’s “The Tale of the Brave Vilnius the girl and the murderer Greenbeard (1970 and 2007), Kostos Kubilinskas’s “Sttovi pasakų namelis” (1974 and 1985) and “Eglė žalčių karalienė” by Salomeja Nėries (in Russian, 1989, in Lithuanian – 2007).
The artist herself has said that she used to choose such books to illustrate, which were life-like, not sweet or primitive. That is why her drawings stood out not only for their contrasting colors, but also for their surrealistic or magical plots, where you could also find scary witches, severed pig heads, blue horses, flying fish or red rivers.
Irmantos Gelūnos/BNS photo/Birutė Žylytė
According to the art researcher Agnė Narušytė, “the bursting shapes and contradictory colors in B. Žilytė’s paintings sometimes make the eyes dazzle. It’s an influence of post-art and Op art that would be unacceptable for Soviet painting, but suited the less censored graphics.” By the way, in her works you can also find Eglė the Queen of Serpents, reminiscent of the Virgin Mary depicted in folk sculpture, or the pillars of Gediminači painted on the shield of Vytautas the Great.
One of the most impressive works created by B. Žilytė together with her husband A. Steponavičius is a 110 square meter wall painting in the long corridor of Valkininkai Children’s Sanatorium “Pušelė”. This cycle of 12 works was created for three years (1969-1972).
Irmantos Gelūnos/BNS photo/Birutė Žylytė
For her drawings, graphic engravings, lithographs, etchings, wall paintings and illustrations for books, the artist received several honorable awards. In 1997, she was awarded the state award – the Grand Cross of the Knight of the Order of Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. In 2015, B. Žilyte was awarded the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize “for art and creativity fostering high modern culture for children”. in 2010 the artist organized her personal exhibition at the National Art Gallery.
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#clear #goodbye #legendary #artist #Biruta #Žilyta #Culture
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Irmanto Gelūno/BNS photo/Birutė Žylytė at her exhibition
B. Žilytė’s contributions to Lithuanian art were recognized with several awards throughout her career. She became known not only for her illustrations but also for her fine art pieces that fused traditional motifs with contemporary styles. Her vibrant use of color and unique interpretations of folklore themes captured the hearts of many, establishing her as a beloved figure in the Lithuanian art scene.
In her later years, Birutė continued to inspire the next generations of artists and illustrators, often participating in workshops and art education programs. She emphasized the importance of imagination and creativity in children’s art, encouraging young artists to freely explore their visions.
Birutė Žilytė left a profound legacy through her work, which continues to be celebrated and appreciated by admirers of art in Lithuania and beyond.
Her contributions and remarkable journey reflect the richness of Lithuania’s cultural tapestry and the importance of nurturing artistic talents in the country.