Antanas Rimavičius: For God and Man

Cross-crafting is one of the most unique phenomena of Lithuanian folk art and culture. Wooden monuments of sacred content (crosses, chapels, shrines, sculptures of saints) are a unique way of cultural, artistic and spiritual expression of the Lithuanian people, reflecting a request, a prayer, gratitude, joy or pain, testifying the artist's talent, rooted in the landscape, community life, and intertwined with customs. Due to its vitality, viability and artistic maturity, cross-crafting was recognised by UNESCO in 2001 as a World Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage.
Antanas Rimavičius is the only known Lithuanian and priest sculptor who has fostered the tradition of cross-crafting in Catholic Latgale (Latvia). He was a spontaneous and sincere man who had a deep inner connection with God, with his sculptures and with people. Leaving clear traces of his pastoral and creative activity in Latvia, and being buried there after death, the eminent man from Šakyna left a significant part of his sculptures to his homeland, Lithuania through his will. These sculptures are preserved and proudly displayed by the Šiauliai “Aušra” Museum.