Turtles, 2015, stone mass, glazes, 60x36x42cm, 44x31x38cm
Sculptor Juozas Lebednykas was born on August 20, 1947 in Dusmenai Village, Trakai Region. From 1966 to 1972 he studied sculpture at the State Institute of Art (in 1989 renamed to Vilnius Fine Arts Academy). His tutors were Bronius Vysniauskas, Gediminas Jokubonis and Konstantinas Bogdanas. After graduation, from 1972 to 1973 he worked at the Vilnius Monument Restoration Institute and served in the army. Since 1973 he has lived and worked in Panevezys. From 1974 to 1987 he worked as a teacher of art at the local children’s art school. He has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union since 1975. During the period from 1989 to 1993 he was elected chairman of the Panevezys branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union. Since 1973 he has participated in numerous exhibitions and symposiums in Lithuania and abroad (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federacion, and Turkey). He has arranged 28 solo exhibitions. The artist has won awards: 1st Diplomas at the Second and at the Third National Exhibitions of Young Artists’ Work (1973, 1974), Personal State grant of the Republic of Lithuania (2002, 2015, 2017, 2022), the nomination For Artistic Maturity (2007) at Panevezys’ Fine Art Days-2007. He also was found to be the laureate of the exhibition Panevezys Fine Art Days-2011. The artist was awarded the Medal of the Duke Vytautas the Great of Trakai District Municipality (2017), the Culture and Art Prize of Panevezys City Municipality (2017), the Golden Badge of the Lithuanian Artists' Union (2018). He has created numerous copper sheet reliefs and sculptures for interior and exterior as commissioned by the public institutions, as well as small sculpture and ceramic sculpture pieces, plastic compositions, objects and pastels. His works are included in the collections of Lithuanian Art Museum, Panevezys Local Lore Museum, Panevezys Civic Art Gallery, Trakai History Museum, the White House (USA), the European Parliament, and private collectors.
