Bulaka Mečislovas

Mečislovas Bulaka (September 12, 1907, Kapčiamiestis – October 21, 1994, Vilnius) – Lithuanian graphic artist and set designer.

In 1931, he graduated from Kaunas Art School, where he studied under Mstislavas Dobužinskis and Adomas Galdikas.

From 1940 to 1951, he taught at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, serving as the institute’s rector from 1944 to 1945. From 1952 to 1954, he was a lecturer at Vilnius University, and since 1944 held the academic title of associate professor. From 1954 to 1960, he worked as an artist at the Lithuanian Film Studio.

He began participating in exhibitions in 1931. Solo exhibitions were held in Kaunas in 1936 and Vilnius in 1997. He created woodcuts (“Barley Harvest”, “Mother During the War”, both 1932), and book illustrations (Kazys Boruta’s “Daily Bread”, 1934; Jonas Biliūnas’s “Fiction” and “A Sad Tale”, both 1937 – the latter awarded a gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition). His woodcuts are noted for their precise, sharp lines and expressive character. He also created drawings in sanguine (series “Views of the Vilnius Old Town”, 1943–1950).

He designed books (Martynas Mažvydas’s “The First Lithuanian Book”, 1947; Antanas Juška’s “Lithuanian Songs”, 1954, and “Lithuanian Wedding Songs”, 1955), and was a set designer for productions at the National Theatre, Panevėžys Drama Theatre, and for films.

He passed away on October 21, 1994, at the age of 87.