Exhibitions archive
Exhibition “Jadvyga Lapinskaitė-Dirvianskienė (1910–1992). Dexterous Hands”
11.07.2022 – 12.09.2022
An exhibition of lace and drawings by the folk artist Jadvyga Lapinskaitė-Dirvianskienė exhibited in the Atrium (5th floor) of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.
Folk artist J. Dirvianskienė’s laces cover a wide spectrum. Her extensive textile treasure trove includes ornamental plant compositions made from knitted flower petals and leaves (on arcs, in vases and baskets), one-of-a-kind wall rugs, as well as napkins and tablecloths. However, for the sake of visual integrity, this exhibition includes examples of larger crocheted works, as well as landscapes and floral still lifes painted with colored pencils.
Diligence and patience requiring works are eye-catching with interesting compositions. For example, the flower and plant compositions in arcs – like a decorative “pano” – are an authentic form of J. Dirvianskienė’s imagery, while the wall carpets in traditional shapes, considered to be the “top” of her work, are distinguished by the diversity of their patterns, consistency of their colors, and their playfulness. The colors are folk-like, close to the national colors of the Lithuanian nation.
Dirvianskienė’s works are distinctive, subtle, authentic, and masterful, while her color combinations feature originality. In addition to her great craftsmanship, they reveal the artistic intuition of the folk artist. Thus, with her beautiful, tasteful works, the artist has enriched the Lithuanian applied art branch - crocheting with hook - and has shown the immense possibilities of the simple hook.
About the author: In 1972 J. Dirvianskienė joined the LSSR Folk Art Society, and in 1975 she held the first exhibition of her works. In 1980, the fourth anniversary exhibition was organized. The artist’s works have been exhibited in Moscow (in 1974 and 1992), Murmansk (in 1992), as well as in various Lithuanian cities: in 1981 at Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (Vilnius); in 1982 at the Klaipėda Museum of Folk Art; in 1983 at the Kaunas State Museum of History and the sanatorium “Lietuva” (Druskininkai); in 1987 in her native Anykščiai; in 2000-2001 in Plungė, Plateliai, Skuodas, and Telšiai (joint family exhibition).
The folk artist’s work has been awarded with prizes, and in 1987 J. Dirvianskienė’s book “Decorative Lace” was published, where compositions of crotched decorative flowers and plants with a hook, as well as photographs of wall rugs, napkins, paths, descriptions of her work, and her patterns and schemes were presented.
Sincere gratitude to Nijolė Dirvianskytė for the artwork loaned for the exhibition.
