Teisutis Zikaras
Encyclopedia
Teisutis 'Joe' Zikaras (often spelled "Tesutis") (5 July 1922 – 10 May 1991) was an Australian sculptor born in Panevėžys
, Lithuania. He earned a diploma at the School of Fine Arts, Kaunas
, Lithuania, where his father Juozas
, creator of Lithuania's famous Liberty statue, was Head. He left Lithuania after its takeover by Russia and spent spent two years 1946–48 teaching drawing and sculpture at a campus of the École des Arts et Métiers in Freiburg, Germany, an art school for Lithuanian refugees where Aleksandras Marčiulionis was a principal.
He was one of the artists who contributed to the 1949 Lithuanian Art Exhibition held in Freiburg with Paulius Augius, Juozas Bakis, Alfonsas Dargis, Povilas Kaufmanas, Viktoras Petravicius, Vaclovas Ratas, Adolfas Vaicaitis, Adolfas Valeska
, Telesforas Valius, Liudas Vilimas
and Viktoras Vizgirda.
He was accepted by Australia as a 'DP' (displaced person
), arriving in Melbourne in 1949. From 1952 to 1956, he was employed as a sculptor on the Melbourne War Memorial. He proceeded to become Lecturer in Sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. His surviving commissioned work includes the sculpture for the courtyard of the ETA Foods Factory
in Braybrook, Victoria
.
He was a member of the Victorian Sculptors' Society. Around 1960, he joined with Clifford Last
, Inge King
, Vincas Jomantas and Lenton Parr
to form a splinter group which exhibited together as the 'Centre Five'. In 1967 they split from the Society, which never recovered from the departure of so many of its prominent members.
According to Australian art critic Alan McCulloch
"He was raised in the tradition of peasant wood-carvings, many of which were hung on trees. This influence acconts for the flatness, the two-dimensional quality in the work not only of Zikaras but also in that of many other Lithuanian sculptors."
Panevežys
Panevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys is the Cido Arena...
, Lithuania. He earned a diploma at the School of Fine Arts, Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania, where his father Juozas
Juozas Zikaras
Juozas Zikaras was a Lithuanian sculptor and artist, who created the design for pre-war Lithuanian litas coins. He is considered to be one of the first professional Lithuanian sculptors.-Biography:...
, creator of Lithuania's famous Liberty statue, was Head. He left Lithuania after its takeover by Russia and spent spent two years 1946–48 teaching drawing and sculpture at a campus of the École des Arts et Métiers in Freiburg, Germany, an art school for Lithuanian refugees where Aleksandras Marčiulionis was a principal.
He was one of the artists who contributed to the 1949 Lithuanian Art Exhibition held in Freiburg with Paulius Augius, Juozas Bakis, Alfonsas Dargis, Povilas Kaufmanas, Viktoras Petravicius, Vaclovas Ratas, Adolfas Vaicaitis, Adolfas Valeska
Adolfas Valeška
Adolfas Valeška was a Lithuanian stained glass artist, painter, stage designer, and museum director who worked in Lithuania and in Chicago, Illinois....
, Telesforas Valius, Liudas Vilimas
Liudas Vilimas
Liudas Vilimas was a Lithuanian painter. His works included book illustrations, theatrical decorations, paintings, postal stamps, window showcases. His earlier works are expressionist, while later have features of abstractionism...
and Viktoras Vizgirda.
He was accepted by Australia as a 'DP' (displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
), arriving in Melbourne in 1949. From 1952 to 1956, he was employed as a sculptor on the Melbourne War Memorial. He proceeded to become Lecturer in Sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. His surviving commissioned work includes the sculpture for the courtyard of the ETA Foods Factory
ETA Foods Factory
The ETA Foods Factory is an important Modernist industrial building employing glass curtain wall design. It is located at Ballarat Road Braybrook and constructed in 1957.-Designer:...
in Braybrook, Victoria
Braybrook, Victoria
Braybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Braybrook had a population of 6940....
.
He was a member of the Victorian Sculptors' Society. Around 1960, he joined with Clifford Last
Clifford Last
Clifford Frank Last was an English sculptor born in England, the son of Nella Last, British author of the war diary Housewife, 49.- Early life :...
, Inge King
Inge King
Inge King is a prominent Australian sculptor, who has many significant public, commercial, and private sculpture commissions to her credit....
, Vincas Jomantas and Lenton Parr
Lenton Parr
Lenton Parr was an Australian sculptor and teacher born in East Coburg, Victoria.He spent eight years in the Royal Australian Air Force before enrolling to study sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Technical College , then worked in England 1955–57 as an assistant to Henry Moore...
to form a splinter group which exhibited together as the 'Centre Five'. In 1967 they split from the Society, which never recovered from the departure of so many of its prominent members.
According to Australian art critic Alan McCulloch
Alan McLeod McCulloch
Alan McCulloch was one of Australia's foremost art critics for more than 60 years , art historian and gallery director, also cartoonist and painter.-Life:Born in Melbourne and brought up in Sydney, returning to Melbourne as a teenager, he initially worked in banking but...
"He was raised in the tradition of peasant wood-carvings, many of which were hung on trees. This influence acconts for the flatness, the two-dimensional quality in the work not only of Zikaras but also in that of many other Lithuanian sculptors."