WILLIAM KURELEK. [1927-1977].

Born on a farm in Whitford, Alberta, the son Ukrainian parents. His father lost the homestead in 1932 when a mortgage company foreclosed on the property. The Kureleks then moved to Stonewall, north of Winnipeg and purchased another farm. William and his brother John were sent to school, both did well but William was keenly interested in drawing. He spent more time dreaming and sketching than the normal activities of youth. His father wanted him to be less a dreamer and told William to put aside drawing. The boys attended high school and lived in two attic rooms that their father rented (William cluttered his walls with his pictures). By grade eleven Kurelek began to experience the severe eye pains that would plague him for years. He attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949. He worked in lumber camps and other odd jobs to raise money for art studies. He studied six months at the Ontario College of Art but found he needed more freedom. He spent five months in Mexico at the Instituto Allende. In 1952 he went to England where he found acceptance for what he wanted to paint (he was to stay seven years). He apprenticed himself to a professional picture framer and fully learned the trade. In England he showed some of his “trompe l’oile” works in three Royal Academy Shows. Suffering from depression and continued pain in his eyes he wound up in hospital for a more than a year. It was also at this time that he converted to Roman Catholicism (he was raised Orthodox but became an atheist as a student). This personal conversion was to deeply effect Kurelek and provide innumerable religious references to his works. In 1959 he traveled to the Holy Land and spent five weeks doing research for his “Gospel According to St. Matthew” passion series. He returned to Toronto and went to see Avrom Isaacs for a job as a framer. Isaacs noted his professional training but was very interested in Kurelek’s own work (in 1960 he was given his first show at Isaacs). In 1961 at the women's committee annual exhibition of the Toronto Art Gallery one of Kurelek’s paintings (Hailstorm in Alberta) was chosen by Alfred H. Barr, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, New York for his gallery. Kurelek completed a number of significant painting series such as "Farm Memories" [Isaacs Gallery 1961]; "Children's Games" [Montreal, Gallery XII, 1963]; "Experiments In Didactic Art" [Isaacs Gallery, 1963]; "An Immigrant Farms In Canada" (Isaacs Gallery, 1964]; "The Gospel Story According to the Passion of St. Matthew" [McIntosh Memorial Art Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, 1965]; "Manitoba Bog Paintings" [Agnes Lefort Gallery, Montreal, 1967]; "The Ukrainian Pioneer Woman In Canada" [Isaacs Gallery, 1968] etc. He was given many exhibitions including: Isaacs Gallery [1962-64, 66, 68]; Edmonton Art Gallery [1965]; Agnes Lefort Gallery, Montreal [1965, 67]; Trinity College (U. of Toronto) [1965]; McIntosh Gallery (U. of Western Ontario) [1965]; Winnipeg Art Gallery [1965]; Yellow Door Gallery, Winnipeg [1966]; and Yellowstone Art Centre, Montana [1967]. The National Film Board released a short film on the artist entitled "Kurelek". He is represented numerous corporate, private and public collections including: National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; House of Commons, Ottawa; Art Gallery of Ontario, Tor.; Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Mtl.; Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ont.; Winnipeg Art Gallery, Man.; Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ont.; Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, etc. After many years of waiting for a visa Kurelek finally took a trip to Ukraine. Though quite ill by this time he completed dozens of drawings and watercolours of village life and implements for a proposed book. Returning to Canada his health took a turn for the worst. In November 1977 William Kurelek died of cancer and was survived by his wife and four children. He spent the last few months of his life finishing his autobiography “Someone With Me”.

Bibliography: MacDonald, “Dictionary of Canadian Artists” [vol. 3. pp. 693-696]

Provenance: Originally created as part of “Toronto 20” a portfolio of prints by 20 Canadian Artists, published by the Jerrold Morris Gallery, Toronto in 1965.

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