The exhibition of Jonas Rimša at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery in Kaunas
On 8th March the exhibition of Jonas Rimša (1903–1978) “Bronze People. Indian Spirit Revealed” was open in Kaunas, at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum. The main part of the works arrived from the collection of Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation. Additionally seven artworks from the early period were presented by the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum.
Jonas Rimša is one of the most prominent Lithuanian emigrant artists who proclaimed the name of Lithuania abroad. He has merits to Bolivian culture and was awarded with the highest Order of Condor Cavalier of the Andes granted to civilians. He was awarded the title of Citizen of Honour of Bolivia (1950) and the name of Professor of Honour (1974). Jonas Rimša was born on June 12, 1903 in Svėdasai and grew up in Kaunas. Bowing to the will of his father, he graduated from the best sewing school in Vienna, and afterwards, completely focused on studying art, he went further abroad to search for his destiny elsewhere. In 1931–1934 he attended the Buenos Aires Academy of Art (Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires), which was the best institution of its kind in all of South America. In 1943, in the city of Sucre, the artist established an art school and was its director. However, one year later, the government needed to reduce its expenses and the school was forced to close. Unhindered, Rimša selected twenty-one of his most gifted students and established a private art school, the Curso Superior de Bellas Artes, which was in operation until 1951. In the art world, the students of this school became known as “Rimša’s Group”. He provided financial support to his students, and personally allocated funds to send more than a handful of talented Bolivian artists to pursue their studies in Europe – Graciela Rodo-Boulanger, Mario Eloy Vargas and Juan Ortega Leyton being among the most famous. The artist has painted close to 1,000 works and held over 30 solo exhibitions.
This exhibition introduces a huge collection of paintings of Jonas Rimša from the Bolivian and Indian period, which made the artist famous.
The curator of the exhibition is Nijolė Tumėnienė.
The exhibition runs from March 8 to August 31, 2013.
