Every year in February our library together with Public library of Panevezys municipality , celebrates national holidays by exchanging exhibitions.
This year is special because of the pandemy. Libraries are closed to visitors, so we decided to exchange exhibitions virtually. An exhibition of Edie’s watercolorists will be on display in Lithuania, and we are presenting one of the best folk artists, Rimantas Zinkevičius who si one of the best and most famous Lithuanian folk artists. The artist lives in Juodausiu village on Šventoji river bank, in a very beuatiful antique homestead. Hundreds of crosses, chapel pillars, sculptures and their compositions, caregivers and, of course, angels – result of hardworking and talented wood carver. Work with wood, carving is this artits daily routine from early morning till late night.
In a gallery, which is located in artists homestead, you can find a very special exhibit – a lot of angels, that were carved from a big variaty of woods from all around the world. When asked why wood carver pays so much attention to angels, he says, that only an angel reveals the true beauty and variaty of a timber. Every kind of wood has its own color, teksture and hardness. Timber, which was used to make these angels, was brought from different places all around the world: eucalyptus from Australia, plane tree from Vengria, beech from Germany, larch from Russia and, of course, lithuanian wood – linden, poplar, plum tree and a couple of thousands years old black oak, which was found several years ago in Šventoji river.
National museum bought some of this wood carvers artwork. Artist earned a lot of significant awards but not only for his special angels exhibition but also for crosses, chapel pillars, christmas cribs and other amazing and beautiful wood carvings. Rimantas is also very well knonw abroad – his artwork embelishes belgian, dutch homesteads, one of his chapel pillars is located in Sweeden. Hardworking and talented wood carver has already won a „Golden wreth“ – most important folk artists award in Lithuania, and not one, but 3 times.