Jurgis Mikševičius (1923–2014) – a Lithuanian artist whose work developed in emigration, mostly in Australia, yet retained a strong European artistic foundation. He was born in Šiauliai into an intellectual family: his father was an engineer, and his mother a doctor. After graduating from the Aušra Gymnasium in Kaunas in 1940, due to the war and his family’s displacement, he studied in Berlin and later at the Technical University of Darmstadt, where he focused on architecture and creative workshops operating on Bauhaus principles.
In 1948, Mikševičius moved to Australia, living in Bathurst, Canberra, and later Sydney. There he became actively involved in the local art scene: in 1956, he was one of the founders of the Baltic artists’ group Six Directions, which aimed to integrate the work of émigré artists into the broader Australian context.
Several stylistic phases can be distinguished in his work. In his early paintings, cubist still lifes dominate, showing the influence of Cézanne and Picasso. In his later works—landscapes and symbolic compositions—spiritual motifs emerge, inspired by several trips to India, where he became interested in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices. His painting is characterized by intense emotional expression, combining experiences of war and emigration, the lyricism of the Australian landscape, reflections on humanity’s relationship with the environment, and subtle elements of the sacred.
Mikševičius’ work represents an exceptional example of Lithuanian diaspora art: through his practice, he merged his Lithuanian heritage, European artistic tradition, and a new Australian context. His works are held in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and the Lithuanian National Museum of Art.
Jurgis Mikševičius passed away in 2014 in Australia. His work remains significant both in Lithuania and internationally, reflecting the intersection of cultural worlds, emotional intensity, and spiritual experience conveyed through color, form, and composition.
In 2023, Mikševičius’ family donated 77 of his paintings along with part of his personal archive to the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. These works are presented in the retrospective exhibition Worlds of Jurgis Mikševičius in Vilnius, allowing visitors to explore the diversity of the artist’s oeuvre.
