Kazys Morkūnas

Kazys Morkūnas
Borncirca 1925
DiedJanuary 2014 (age 88)
Resting placeAntakalnio Cemetery
Known forStained glass

Kazys Morkūnas (c. 1925 – 2014) was a Lithuanian stained glass artist. He is considered a master of the form.[1][2]

He was a student of Stasys Ušinskas and along with fellow pupil Algimantas Stoskus they began creating new methods that incorporated thick panels of glass[3] which have been adopted by other artists.[2]

His 1960 work Morning incorporated a special mirror glass and was the first stained glass work to incorporate a nude from folklore.[4] His work was part of the Soviet Pavilions at both the Expo 67 and Expo 70.[5] He created miniature stained glass replicas of the Lithuanian coat of arms (vytis) as souvenirs which were sold after re-establishment of independence in 1990.[6] He created the large pieces Šventė (Feast) (1980s) and Žalgirio mūšis (The Battle of Grunwald) (2010s) that adorn buildings in the Lithuanian Parliamentary complex.[7]

In 1985, Morkunas was awarded the USSR State Prize.[8] In 2000, he was awarded the 4th Grade Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas by the Lithuanian President, Valdas Adamkus.[9]

He died in January 2014 at the age of 88 and was buried at Antakalnio cemetery.[10]

References

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  1. ^ The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. Novosti Press Agency. 1967.
  2. ^ a b Soviet Literature. Foreign Languages Publishing House. 1976.
  3. ^ Bartenev, Igorʹ Aleksandrovich (1979). Modern Lithuanian stained glass. Aurora Art. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  4. ^ Vilnius: Lithuanian Literature, Culture, History. Vilnius. 1995.
  5. ^ Mani︠u︡shis, Iosif Antonovich (1977). Soviet Lithuania: Achievements and Prospects. Mintis. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  6. ^ Galkus, Juozas (2009). Lietuvos Vytis / The Vytis of Lithuania. VDA leidykla. pp. 384–. ISBN 9789955854449. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Parliament's buildings". Office of the Seimas. Office of the Seimas. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  8. ^ Моркунас Казимерас (Казис) (in Russian). Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas - Dokumento tekstas" (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Mirė vitražistas Kazys Morkūnas". Bernardinai.lt. 2014-01-23. Retrieved 8 March 2014.