(Includes Buyer's Premium)
Jahan Maka
Jahan Maka was born Jonas Tomasiunas-Tomosenskas in 1900 in the small village of Svedasai, Lithuania. His father died when he was young, leaving him as the oldest son to tend the family farm amid turmoil over the occupation of the Baltic region. The farm was lost after World War I due to border shifts or land allocation. In 1927, Maka immigrated to Canada seeking work, intending to return to Lithuania to buy a farm. He anglicized his name to John Thomason and worked as an itinerant laborer in the western provinces, including as a farm hand and coal miner in Estevan, Saskatchewan.
Maka eventually settled in Flin Flon, Manitoba, where he worked as a hard rock miner until he retired in 1965. He lived in a rooming house he owned at the end of Hapnot Street near the lake and maintained connections with other Lithuanian immigrants, reading newspapers in his native language and receiving visits from them during his later years. In 1968, at age 68, he began painting with encouragement from his godson Tony Allison, an art student at the University of Manitoba, who supplied him with painting materials. Maka signed his works with the name Maka, a special clan name given to him in his youth.
Maka worked with various materials including pastels, chalks, crayons, commercial enamels, airplane paint thinned with lighter fluid, appliance touch-up paint, wax crayons, and carpenter's chalk. He rebuilt worn paintbrushes with hairs from his own moustache and painted on walls or doors of his apartment when he ran out of canvas. He carved motifs from wood or linoleum and stamped them onto canvas or board. His paintings featured bright colors, flattened figures, and architectural structures, often viewed from an aerial perspective. His subjects included scenes from Lithuanian history, life in Canada, mining operations, and current events.
In 1977, Maka won first prize in a juried art exhibition sponsored by the Northern Manitoba Recreational Association, resulting in two solo exhibitions in Winnipeg in 1978. In spring 1983, he took a road trip with Allison to the southern United States and Mexico, where he purchased chalk, crayon, paint, and black paper used for his last series of drawings. Jahan Maka continued painting until his death in 1987 and is recognized as one of Canada's best-known self-taught artists.
October Canadian Fine Art Auction
October 9 - October 23, 2025
212 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg MB
(204) 255-5690
mayberryfineart.com
[email protected]
Contact us to make an appointment to preview this item or to sell similar works.
|
Bidding Range
|
Increment
|
|---|---|
| $0.00 - $50.00 | $1.00 |
| $50.00 - $100.00 | $5.00 |
| $100.00 - $500.00 | $10.00 |
| $500.00 - $1,000.00 | $25.00 |
| $1,000.00 - $5,000.00 | $50.00 |
| $5,000.00 - $10,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 | $200.00 |
| $20,000.00 - $50,000.00 | $500.00 |
| $50,000.00 - $100,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $100,000.00+ | $5,000.00 |
Login or register a BidLots.com account to participate in any auction. Track specific lots and artists with real-time notifications on all bidding activity.
Bidding approval requires three simple steps:
1. Create a Bid Lots account
2. Confirm your email address
3. Create a valid billing profile
Bid Lots and/or the auctioneer may choose to revoke your bidding privileges if your account is not in good standing or your activity is in conflict with our standard terms and conditions of sale.
The buyer’s premium is an additional percentage charged to the winning bidder. The buyer’s premiums may vary from auction to auction, typically ranging from 10% to 20%. Buyer’s premiums will be displayed on detailed lot listings and paddle registration forms.
Bidding begins at the reserve price and advances at set increments based on the bidding range. The specific bidding increments may vary from auction to auction, however the next bid and subsequent increments will always be clearly defined on detailed lot listings. Maximum Bids and Single Bids can only be placed within the pre-defined bidding increments ensuring that no two bidders can place identical bids on an item. View individual lot detail pages to see a complete range of bidding increments for that item.
Requests to cancel a single bid are at the sole descretion of the auctioneer. Maximum bids can be increased but cannot be decreased unless premitted by the auctioneer. Requests to cancel a bid or to alter a maximum bid will be denied if the specific lot is scheduled to close in less than 24 hours or if the lot has significant interest or activity.
To request that a bid be cancelled or to change a maximum bid use the "Ask a question" button on the detailed lot listing.
You will receive an email notification when you have successfully won an auction. You will also see the item listed on your "Bidding Results" page and if you are logged into the site you will see a highlighted message on the auction catalogue pages and auction listings.
Shipping requirements may vary on different items depending on location and size or weight of an item. When registering for a specific auction you will be provided options to clarify your preferred shipping instructions. The auctioneer will also review and provide specific shipping quotes or options following the close of an auction. If you have specific shipping requirements or are unsure of the shipping constraints on a specific item please contact the auctioneer prior to bidding.
Following the close of an auction the auctioneer will provide a detailed invoice for all items you have won. They may contact you before a final invoice is prepared to confirm or review specific shipping instructions. Payment is due once a final invoice is provided and can be submitted online by credit card, or made by EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer), bank draft or international wire transfer. Any outstanding balance will be automatically charged to your registered credit card 5 days following the close of an auction.