Gražina Didelytė-Abaravičienė (2 October, 1938 – January 2, 2007) was a Lithuanian graphic artist and book illustrator.
Biography
Gražina Didelytė has born in a suburban (at that time) area of
Kaunas in 1938. She graduated Kaunas Salomėja Nėris secondary school in 1957. Later she studied chemistry in
Kaunas Polytechnic Institute but joined
Lithuanian Institution of Arts in 1961 and graduated graphics subject there in 1967.
Since 1968 Didelytė began her career as an artist. She participated in local and foreign expositions, illustrated books, designed
bookplates. During the 1970s–1980s she actively participated in ethnographic expeditions, folk festivals, hikes through important historical places in Lithuania. Because of this activity, she was investigated by Soviet security organizations.
1977 Didelytė moved from Kaunas to
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, where she got a studio. Later she often camped in
Dzūkija region and bought a homestead in
Rudnia (Rudnelė) village. Since 1995 till 2006 she lived in remote Rudnia village permanently (at times all alone in whole village) and opened her gallery "Andeinė" there in 2005.
In October 2006 she got injured and left for Vilnius where she died next year.
Works
Gražina Didelytė participated in around 30 expositions in Lithuania,
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
(in 1977, 1983),
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
(in 1977), Latvia (in 1984–85),
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
(in 1993–94),
Japan (in 1996). She designed around 700 bookplates, also many
art prints (
etching
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
cicles "Song about Tree" in 1970, "Lithuania of
Svirskis" in 1975, "Oh, Homeland" in 1976, "In memoriam
Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas
Vincas Mykolaitis, known by his pen name Putinas (literally '' Viburnum'') (6 January 1893 in Pilotiškės, Suwałki Governorate – 7 June 1967 in Kačerginė), was a Lithuanian poet and writer. He was also a priest, but renounced his priesthoo ...
" in 1978, "Moments" in 1982, "The Rudnia Marsh" in 1991), fine graphics works, book illustrations (for the poetry books of
Justinas Marcinkevičius,
Kazys Bradūnas
Kazys Bradūnas (11 February 1917 – 9 February 2009) was a Lithuanian émigré poet and editor. He was born in Kiršai, in the Lithuania District of Ober Ost, a territory occupied by the German Empire.
He graduated from Vilnius University ...
,
Aldona Puišytė,
Gintautas Iešmantas,
Česlovas Masaitis,
Algimantas Baltakis and others).
During her stay in Rudnelė, she created a cycle dedicated to the local nature the ''Dainavos klodai'' ('The Dainava Stratum').
Didelytė employs metaphoric style depicting inner human emotions, mythical, ethnographical motives, nature elements. Some later her works explore
exile and
post-war resistance themes.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Didelyte, Grazina
1938 births
2007 deaths
Lithuanian graphic designers
Lithuanian illustrators
Burials at Rasos Cemetery
