Juozas Zikaras-Ruzgys: Echoes of Lithuania in Stone and Shadow Born amidst the rolling hills of Paliūkai, near Panevėžys, in 1881, Juozas Zikaras-Ruzgys emerged from a landscape steeped in Lithuanian folklore and national identity. His early life, marked by the constraints of Tsarist Russia’s rule, would profoundly shape his artistic vision – a deep reverence for his homeland and a desire to capture its spirit through sculpture and painting. Zikaras wasn't merely an artist; he was a custodian of Lithuanian memory, meticulously crafting images that resonated with the nation’s yearning for in…