Lionginas Sepka (1907-1985)

Rokiškis

Lionginas Sepka was born on the15th of September 1907 in Siaudine village (Rokiskis d., Lithuania) in a family of less land farmer. His childhood and, maybe, youth had little differences from the majority of children born in measly village in the beginning of the century. In Siaudine village located two and a half hectare of land and six children in a family. Early death of parents. Thirteen years old Lionginas was a total orphan. Shepherd, put-upon, upon – guy this is a road to the life. Education? From Mother Nature, from trees gathering leaves in springs, from bees picking honey and from bird flight Lionginas tried to get acquainted with life and work. The same as his mother. She used to show letters of primer with numb finger passing, respites between works for her five laddies and daughter after each other. Lionginas remembered them all his life, especially – clear, patient capitals. And church – for lightening the eye, fro getting eyeful of colorful never seen paintings, for listening grainy words that God let a trouble in a little person. These are all the universities. He did not know anyone and nobody invited him there. Let us say, maybe, to take a wineglass with guys, to quiet a worm of worry at Saturday evenings. Some worry sit inside deeply. A wish of light, freedom, but nobody told where to look for it. Having left his masters Lionginas has went to work as roads worker. Some more freedom at least. Having lifted heavy hammer by the hill of stones and evening is yours. Nobody would neither force to turn shackle, nor ride for a night ride. But the man is such. Where he is – his worry appears. You can not split it with the biggest hammer. You can not lay it into tight paving… Another one trouble attached his days: drunk guys beat him. Bang with a spade into his head and hard long lasting illness.... Again a tail of roam years, discrete works for a bite of bread.

Lionginas Sepka began to whittle being in the fifth decade – 1950, after the death of his brother Petras, at whose home he had been living at that moment. Having started to whittle a monument for his brother, “had not released a knife from his hands ever” – original nature of artist opened spontaneously.

During ten year Sepka created three monuments for his brother and one for parents. The basic accent in two monuments for brother and for parents is the full height figure of Maria on higher or lower pedestal. In one of them she is shown as a village woman, wrapped with a scarf and holding Lithuanian book in her arms, and in other two as crowned queen. Names, dates, dedications, even foreseen detail date of built is whittled on monuments, for instance: “…this reflection is manufactured in 1953 m., built in cemetery of Pandelys parish on 19th of June 1954”. In 1955 he creates bigger composition: kneeler angels of primitive forms included in it: chains whittled from one piece of wood should have wrap all the resting-place.
The most complex great monument was started to manufacture in 1955, what means dedication in the plate graced with strange herbal rhythms that master “honoring his dead brother handed him this honorable monument as a present instead of his name”. This is a creation astonishing with its complex structure and original plastic forms from plenty of various components. Central axe – cross wrapped with fantastic garlands of flowers, crowns, beams, nude little figures, surrounded with olive bushes, firs full of expressive birds figures, chains of various forms, texts becoming ornaments shaped in rectangular plates and crowned hearts. Light streaming through eminent surfaces of the monument delivers some secret charm to this wooden symphony: everything shakes here and breathes the life. The master joined everything into the solid structure and wished to build it in Pandelys cemetery. So, Lionginas Sepka can be called a blazer of refreshing of monumental sculpture of Lithuanian nation.
Lonely, misunderstood by his family, laughed by neighbors L.Sepka created and felt happy. He became headliner not only of Pandelys, but also of whole Lithuania. But this did not last long. In 1961 at the initiative of Pandelys authority L. Sepka was carried to Didvydziai (Vilkaviskis d.) rest – home. In 1963 he returned from this „bloody home“, as he used to call, being mentally and physically ill. The time of wanders started - L. Sepka nestled at one or others nowhere staying for a long time, nowhere finding mental relax. Finally, he bought a small rundown “Matijosius” house…

In autumn 1970 journalist Danute came to him. Their meeting and friendship fixed in letters written to her by L. Sepka. These seven years during that they were making a written conversation gives a lot of news about the life and creation of L. Sepka. It is like his particular diary. We get knowledge about minds that torched him, about routine cares that are misunderstood able and strange for nowadays man from these letters. Landscape of life of the second part of XX c. rises above eyes, when reading letters. Economy pleasures did not touch Lionginas Sepka practically. He lived without electricity till 1976 summer. Living and creating in Lebedziai, he lightened with a candle, when lack came, he used fats. The only technical miracles – radio and bicycle. Small radio apparatus (transistor recipients) often used to collapse for him, all the time he was carrying about „ batteries “(galvanic elements). Radio was the only connection with external world. He used to listen it not only at home, but he also took it when traveling to Kupiskis. He used to drive for about 30 km to Kupiskis and returned every week. He used to buy food, put a letter into postbox for Danute and other people in Kupiskis. Bicycle trips were not successful all the time, quite often he had to push it by himself (it used to break on the road or the road was full of snow); several times he was hardly not hit by passing cars. Trip to Kupiskis and back to Lebedziai took a full day. He tried to leave as earlier and come back at late night. The trip was especially difficult during winter when it was sawn late and darken early, road was snowbound.

The artist felt nature very well he was caring about acquiring good binoculars for having a possibility to observe birds. He used to wait for coming back starling, worried that starling can fly away when he is not at home. He was happy about the first tweet of weber, hoop of pewit. But the loved most and paid attention to dog Sargis that was presented by Danute being so small. Sargis got the most delicious bites: he loved the thin meet only. Lionginas Sepka could starve for some days, but Sargis had to be supplied with food every time. When Sargis used to run away the biggest trouble happened. L. Sepka wrote to Danute that Sargis understands everything as being told, he is just not able to speak. And when L. Sepka worried waiting for Danute, the waiting affected Sargis as well – dog used to run from one window to another fast to see the guest.

Since 1978 the brightest stage of Lionginas Sepka life has begun. Living in Vilnius with near and loved persons – Danute surrounded him by attention and care. He was the one to care about and love.

During thirty years Lionginas Sepka created about one thousand an a half works of various sizes – from palm size bas-relieves till few meters space compositions.

In Rokiskis area museum the greatest collection of his works is saved. In 1971 an exposition was opened in two halls of museum. In 1992 it was expanded. After the basic repair of the building in 2009 exposition of L. Sepka whittlings renewed universally. Visitors have a possibility to get acquainted with his creation starting with the first works and ending with the final one, unfinished whittling.