Liudas Truikys. Art is a Sacrifice to the Cosmic Balance. Exhibition book

I sacrificed my life so that, until the end of time, I wouldreach the foundations of synthesis at any cost – something theentire world searches for but cannot find...  

Liudas Truikys 

This richly illustrated book presents material from the exhibition “Liudas Truikys: Art Is a Sacrifice to the Balance of the Cosmos”, which took place at the M. K. ČiurlionisNational Museum of Art in Kaunas in 2024–2025. These are the most compelling of Truikys scenographic sketches for the operas, exceptional objects from the artist’s collection of Eastern art; photographs of Truikys and his life partner, the opera soloist Marijona Rakauskaitė (1892–1975) and their apartment interior; and the canvases depicting the procession of the Twelve Apostles, painted by Truikys and discovered in St. Nicholas (Benedictine) Church in Kaunas. These materials are examined in depth in the scholarly articles written by Dr. Radvile Racėnaitė, Prof. Dr. Miglė Lebednykaitė, Dr. Tadas Rutkauskas, and Dr. Indrė Šurkutė. The book concludes with acatalogue of the works displayed in the exhibition. 

Liudas Truikys ranks among the most distinguished Lithuanian scenographers. His name is closely associated with the concept of the synthesis of the arts that rose to prominence at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Truikysgained recognition through his scenography sets for drama and opera productions. His creative imagination was nourished by the original interplay of motifs from ancient Egyptian and Japanese civilizations, Christian Western Europe, pagan Lithuania, and Lithuanian folk art. Truikys’sworldview and creative work were also influenced by the ideas of theosophy. 

Compiled by: Radvilė Racėnaitė 

Authors of texts: Radvilė Racėnaitė, Miglė Lebednykaitė, Tadas Rutkauskas, Indrė Šurkutė 

Language editor: Rima Bertašavičiūtė 

Translator: Aušra Simanavičiūtė 

Book designer: Inga Navickaitė-Drąsutė 

Image editing: Raimundas Austinskas (Aust Studio) 

Publisher: Nacionalinis M. K. Čiurlionio dailės muziejus 

Year: 2026 

Pages: 242 

ISBN: 9786098366006 

Language: Lithuanian, English