Lithuanian Culture Institute
Lithuanian Culture Institute
Illustrators

Leonardas Gutauskas

Lithuanian Culture Institute
Leonardas Gutauskas

As I write books myself, everything matches – texts and illustrations. Writing and illustrating for children is like saying a prayer. After all, the little ones are so trusting…

Born: November 6, 1938, Kaunas, Lithuania.
1957 – 1965 Studies at the State Art Institute.
1966 Started participating in exhibitions.
1967 Member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association.
1976 Member of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.
1989 Member of a group of artists Group 24.
1991 – 1993 Teacher of Painting, Vilnius Academy of Arts.
CONTACTS
Vilnius, Lithuania
www.gutauskai.lt
FIELDS OF ACTIVITY
Leonardas Gutauskas is a painter, writer and poet. He writes books for adults and young readers, writes texts for music and illustrates his books for children. This poet and artist’s books for children lay open the deepest mysteries of the Earth and Space, the fabulously rich world of plants, animals, fish and insects. In his books for children, he ingeniously fuses together the magic of language, image and colour.
EXHIBITIONS
The artist has held about 20 solo exhibitions. He has participated in numerous exhibitions: Exhibition of Book Illustrations, Sarmede, Italy (repeatedly in 1990–1998); International Book Illustration Exhibition, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France (1992); International Exhibition of Illustrations, Yanduri Palace, Seville, Spain (1994); International Exhibition of Illustrations, Foz Palace, Lisbon, Portugal (1995).
“Illustrarium: Contemporary Lithuanian Children’s Book Illustration“, Bologna children’s book fair, Italy, 2011.
AWARDS
1981 State Award for children’s books.

1989 Honorary Title for Merits in Arts.

1998 Award for Arts by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.

1992 Award of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union for the best book of 1990–1991.

2001 Lithuanian National Award for Culture and Arts.

2002 IBBY Lithuanian Section Premium for the best children’s book of the year – The Last Witch of Čepkeliai.

2007 Žemaitė Literary Award.

2008 Jonas Aistis Literary Award.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Senojo bokšto gyventojai (The Residents of the Old Tower): [fairy-tales], Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers, 2010.

Petriukas debesėlis (Piter the Cloudlet): [poems], Vilnius: Gimtasis žodis, 2009.

Kipšo dūda (A Devil’s Pipe): (fairy-tale), Vilnius: Žara, 2004.

Paskutinė Čepkelių ragana (The Last Witch of Čepkeliai): [fairy-tale], Vilnius: Mažasis vyturys, 2002.

Popierinė dėžutė (A Paper Box): [poems], Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers’ Union Publishers, 1998.

Kam katinui ūsai (Why a Cat Needs Its Whiskers): [prose], Vilnius: Tyto alba, 1996.

Auksinė šiaudų šviesa (The Golden Light of Straw): [fairy-tales], Vilnius: Vyturys, 1989.

Geležinė varlė (An Iron Frog): [fairy-tale], Vilnius: Vyturys, 1988.

Paukščių takas (The Milky Way): [poems], Vilnius: Vyturys, 1986.

Kur nakvoja vėjai (Where the Winds Sleep): [selection of poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1983.

Sidabro žuvys žaidžia (Silver Fishes Play): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1981.

Dangaus kalvis Perkūnas (Thunder, the Heavenly Blacksmith): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1980.

Juoda žemelė – baltas pyragėlis (Black Soil – White Bread): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1977.

Baltasparniai malūnėliai (Tiny White-Wing Mills): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1974.

Sakmės apie bičių darbus (Tales of the Bees’ Chores): [long poem], Vilnius: Vaga, 1973.

Girių giesmės devynbalsės (Nine-voice Songs of the Woods): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1972.

Vaško dvarelis (A Mansion of Wax): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1970.

Du žvirbliai (Two Sparrows): [poems], Vilnius: Vaga, 1969.