Most artists are known for their distinctive styles and themes. A painting by Picasso, for example, could not be mistaken for one by Rembrandt or Van Gogh. A touring exhibition of the works of Canadian artist William Kurelek, however, is different. Featuring works from three separate periods in the author's life, the exhibit demonstrates how the changes in the artist's life were reflected in his painting.
The Life of William Kurelek
According to the William Kurelek website, the artist was born on March 3, 1927, in Shandro, a town in the western Canadian province of Alberta, to Ukrainian parents. The family soon moved to Manitoba, where William attended school first in Stonewall and then in Winnipeg. After graduating from high school, he studied the Ukrainian language and history before enrolling in classes at the University of Manitoba.
In 1949, Kurelek began studies at the Ontario College of Art in Vinemount, Ontario; the next year, he began working on his first painting, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. For a short time, he studied Mexican art at the Instituto Allende in Mexico. On his return to Ontario, he revived his Ukrainian roots with Zaporozhian Cossaks.
Despite bouts of mental illness, William Kurelek visited art galleries in Europe over the next years to study the works of the great painters. By 1954, many of his paintings had taken on religious themes as he became interested in Christianity. He returned to Canada in 1959, and the next year he obtained work as a framer at The Isaacs Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. Through his work, he developed an interest in how picture frames relate to art, and he was always careful to match each painting with the right frame. His various interests were reflected in his art as he continued to paint until his death in 1977.
The William Kurelek Exhibition
These different influences on William Kurelek and his art were part of William Kurelek: The Messenger, an art show traveling through Winnipeg and other parts of Canada. As the Winnipeg Art Gallery's web page on the Kurelek exhibit states, the collection includes over eighty works spanning twenty years of the artist's life and highlighting his different moods and interests. Apocalyptic visions from his years of mental illness contrast with prairie fields and Biblical scenes painted during his less troubled years. Through the exhibit, the range of Kurlek's vision is evident.
As the Winnipeg Art Gallery's website indicates, the exhibit ran in Winnipeg from September 30th to December 31st before moving on to Hamilton, Ontario. From there, it will travel to Victoria, British Columbia. In the future, people in other areas of Canada and the world will continue to enjoy the varied works of one of Canada's most versatile artists.
Susan Huebert - My name is Susan Huebert, and I'm a writer and editor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I've always enjoyed words, and I graduated with a Bachelor ...
