Lina Kalinauskaitė

Medal and coin maker

©Jurgita Ludaviciene

©Mindaugas Neniskis

A sculpted vibration of history

Lina learned to create medals from her father
Preserving this craft is an essential part of what drives her
Medal making is a craft that brings together history, art and technology

Lina Kalinauskaitė has been surrounded by art since childhood. Her father, the sculptor Juozas Kalinauskas, created medals alongside sculptures, involving his daughter in their creation. Today, her practice is devoted to creating medals and preserving and promoting the craft of medal making. Lina is a member of the FIDEM association and participates in medal exhibitions, as well as medal symposia in Lithuania and abroad, speaks at conferences, and is a curator and tireless organiser of the Baltic Medal Triennial. "It is extremely important for me that we maintain the continuity of the craft, as the number of artists in this narrow field is decreasing," she shares. The medal is a small canvas conveying great meaning, about history and themes of ancestry. "In recent years, the industry has moved towards computer modelling and many young artists no longer sculpt by hand. In my opinion, it is through the work of the hands that the work crystallises and that it gains its spirit," says Lina.

Interview

©Jurgita Ludaviciene

©Jurgita Ludaviciene

How did you start making medals?: I studied fresco and mosaic at the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, then fresco restoration, and later painting in Florence. I learned to make medals from my father. Continuity of craft is very important to me, and I wanted to do what my father did, so I started helping him when I was still at school, making small details. As my abilities developed, we started to work together, and eventually, I ventured out on my own, accepting commissions and minting medals at the Lithuanian Mint.
What attracts you to medals?: I really enjoy making them. A medal is a small item, but it has a big meaning. I like the fact that medals commemorate important themes and historical moments. I also feel a responsibility to maintain the continuity of the craft, because medal making is a very narrow field. I also learned some basics of jewellery making techniques such that I sometimes make the medal to be wearable, as a medallion.
What is the process of creating a medal?: The first stage is to analyse the historical facts very well, collect the material and draw sketches. Then comes the plasticine modelling and the making of the plaster mould. When the mould is ready, there are several ways to materialise the piece: casting, minting and galvanisation. Once cast, I do the final touches with chisels, files, patina and polishing. Depending on the complexity of the composition, the creation of a medal can take months or even years.
What is most important to you in a medal?: It is key that the composition of the medal reflects the theme well, that the artistic quality is at the highest level, that the technical realisation is flawless, and that it is well cast and well chiseled. Sometimes I have to go to the mint several times to check that everything is done to a high standard.

Lina Kalinauskaitė is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1998