A life shaped by shadows and light

Henrikas Salkauskas lived through the heavy shifts of mid-century Europe before finding his way to Australia. Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, his early years were marked by the sudden disappearance of his father, an army officer taken during the Soviet occupation. This loss, followed by the German occupation and the eventual flight with his mother to West Germany, left a quiet imprint on his later work. He studied graphic arts at the Danzig Art School and later at L'Ecole des Arts et Métiers in Paris and Freiburg. In 1949, he arrived in Melbourne, initially working in a stone quarry near Canberra to fulfill a contract. He eventually moved to Sydney, settling in Kirribilli.

His daily life often involved the practical work of a house-painter, a trade he maintained alongside his studio practice. This physical labor provided the stability needed to experiment with different mediums without the immediate pressure of sales. There was a certain rhythm to his existence, moving between the grit of manual work and the precise demands of printmaking. He found a community among other displaced persons in Sydney, becoming a founding member of the Sydney Printmakers in 1961.

The language of ink and water

His early focus rested on the graphic arts, specifically linocut prints and silkscreen processes. Works like The Search from 1950 and Three Women from 1953 show a reliance on strong lines and tonal contrasts. He often worked in black and shades of grey, a palette that some connected to the harshness of his homeland or the memory of his father. These prints were not small, delicate things; they carried a weight born from careful carving and heavy ink.

By 1965, his approach shifted toward large-scale watercolours. He rejected the idea that watercolour should be limited to small, neat washes. Instead, he placed large sheets of Stonehenge paper on the floor, using big brushes, sponges, and rags to move dense washes across the surface. This method allowed for a more monumental scale, with some pieces reaching up to one metre by two metres. His use of black and grey in these paintings was often interrupted by white, creating a sense of depth and light through translucency.

The influence of various movements can be seen in his technical choices:

• Linocut and Monotype: Early works focused on the precision of graphic textures.
• Abstract Expressionism: Later watercolours embraced more fluid, non-objective forms.
• Colour Field and Lyrical Abstraction: His later paintings explored large areas of tone and light.

Recognition and legacy

Salkauskas earned numerous awards throughout his career in Australia, including the Perth prize in 1963 and multiple Mosman Art Prizes between 1963 and 1965. His work was shown in international forums in Tokyo, Ljubljana, and São Paulo. He also played a part in revitalizing the Australian Watercolour Institute after joining in 1963.

His death in 1979 from a sudden heart attack ended a period of intense creative activity. His estate and collections, including works donated by his friend Eva Kubbos, are held in places such as the Lithuanian Art Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Henry Salkauskas Contemporary Art Purchase Fund was established in his memory to support the continued development of art in Australia.