Art

Rimantas Dichavičius was born in 1937 in Grimzelių village, Kelmė district. At the age of eight, he and his family were deported to Siberia. As a teenager, he was brought back to Lithuania by his aunt. In 1963, he graduated from the Faculty of Graphics at the Vilnius Art Institute (now the Academy). He illustrated and designed, and published dozens of books, created posters and ex libris. He has been working in creative photography for several decades and is a participant in many international exhibitions. Since 1960, he has been creating a series of thousands of photographs titled “Lithuanian Ethnography.”

1974.

 Rimantas in Rome 2023 m.

Published two of his own creative albums – “FLOWERS AMONG FLOWERS” (1987) and “VISIONS” (2006). At his own expense, published the Baltic Art (2004) almanac of Baltic States artists, “Marked by Freedom. Artists for the Restored Lithuanian State” – three volumes: 2012, 2013, 2016 (presenting 214 artists, about 5000 works). The three volumes were published after selling the land for which he was deported to Siberia with his parents. Published artist monographs: “Antanas Kmieliauskas” (2001 and 2003, two editions), “Šarūnas Sauka” (2001), “Giedrius Kazimierėnas” (2008), “Jurij Jakovenko. Linea Magica” (2008), “Algimantas Švažas” (2014), “Giedrius Kazimierėnas. Battle of Grunwald. Day of Wrath” (2017), “Giedrius Kazimierėnas. Hell’s Hymns” (2022), “Indra Grušaitė. Dreamland” (2024), and other publications.

Albums

Photography Blossoms among blossoms

Recognition

Rimantas Dichavičius
1987 – Title of Meritorious Artist of Lithuania
1994 – Title of Honorary Member of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP)
1997 – Honorary Member of the Lithuanian Union of Art Photographers
1998 – Honorary Member of the Minsk Academy of Arts
2000 – Laurynas Ivinskis Prize
2003 – Lithuanian Government Art Prize
2003 – Title of Meritorious Artist of Ossetia-Alania
2004 – Estonian White Star Order, Commander’s Cross
2007 – Order of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Gediminas, Commander’s Cross
2016 – Order “For Merits to Lithuania,” Commander’s Cross
2016 – Juozas Keliuotis Prize
2018 – Public Order of Concord
Over 20 gold, silver, and bronze medals at international art and photography exhibitions.

The work “Blossoms Among Blossoms” gained special fame, with the album being reprinted three times in large editions. The exhibition of the “Blossoms Among Blossoms” photo cycle traveled across the entire USSR, European countries, and the USA. It was the first book in the former Soviet Union on the NUDE theme, which was personally “blessed” by then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

The opening of Rimantas Dichavičius’s exhibition “Blossoms Among Blossoms” in Moscow at the Union of Journalists Gallery “Fotocentr,” 1989. In the center is the U.S. Ambassador Jack Metlock with his wife Rebecca, and on the right is Rimantas Dichavičius. On the first floor was an exhibition of Mrs. Rebecca’s works, and on the second floor was Rimantas Dichavičius’s “Blossoms Among Blossoms.”

The album was purchased by many countries. The Chinese requested “at least one million copies for a narrow circle of specialists.” This album broke through the iron Soviet censorship, gave the forbidden subject a status of Beauty, and accelerated the process of Perestroika. The impact of the “Blossoms Among Blossoms” album continues to resonate to this day.

In January 1990, during Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit, Raisa Gorbacheva visited Rimantas Dichavičius’s home.