William Kurelek
About The Artist
Canadian artist William Kurelek (1927 - 1977) has become known for his nostalgic, illustrative and didactic paintings.
Examining life growing up on the prairies, Kurelek provided stories and illustrations for the books "A Prairie Boys Summer"
and "A Prairie Boys Winter" as well as numerous paintings that further examined his life as a child in western Canada.
His exploration of Canadian life did not stop with his nostalgic remembrances but continued with illustrations of life
across Canada among the various ethnic and regional groups. Books that were produced from these paintings include "Kurelek's Canada",
"The Polish Canadians", and "Jewish Life In Canada". Although William Kurelek's fame is based on his examination of Canadian life
what the artist wanted to focus on creating were his religious paintings that illustrated the bible. His best-known religious
series is the 160 panels of "The Passion of Christ". Wanting to teach with his artwork Kurelek throughout his career produced
a number of visual commentaries that explored social issues from abortion to pollution. To make his social commentaries more
effective Kurelek would include them in paintings of Canadian life scenes or religious art works. An example of this are the
artworks included in the book "O Toronto".
After creating over 3,000 paintings he died from cancer on November 3rd, 1977.
Publications
Kurelek on Kurelek
Kurelek, W. (1988).
Someone With Me, Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls Art Gallery - Kurelek Collection. This 1988 autobiography
is the unabridged reprint of the 1973 original. Written for use by the Cornell University Psychology Department the book is not
typeset but typewritten and illustrated with Kurelek's drawings. Someone With Me ends in 1971 when Kurelek produced the Last Days
series. A sometimes rambling book, Kurelek uses its pages as a vehicle to both explore and explain his life decisions and
philosophy. (Still in print)
This book is
currently available from our gift shop and can be purchased
here!
Kurelek, W. (1973).
Someone With Me, Ithaca, New York: Centre for Improvement of Undergraduate Education,
Cornell University. The 1973 Cornell printing is no longer available for sale but can be found in some second-hand bookstores.
Kurelek, W. (1980).
Someone With Me, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart This version of Someone With Me is a
smaller and revised version of the Cornell book. (Currently out of print)
Other Books By Kurelek
Kurelek, W. (1999).
Kurelek Country, Toronto: Key Porter Books. The artwork in Kurelek Country is supported
by a preface by Kurelek's gallery dealer Av Isaacs and a biographical essay by historian Ramsay Cook. (Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1988).
To My Father's Village, Montreal: Tundra Books. To My Father's Village was published
after Kurelek's death using letters to his wife Jean from his 1970 trip to Ukraine and artwork from his return trip in 1977.
(Still in print)
This book is
currently available from our gift shop and can be purchased
here!
Limited Supply.
Kurelek, W. (1985).
They Sought A New World, Montreal: Tundra Books. Although the book is attributed to Kurelek,
Margaret Engelhart wrote the text with snippets of the artist's commentary and paintings illustrating Engelhart's text.
(Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1981).
The Polish Canadians, Montreal: Tundra Books. This book is an examination of the
Canadian-Polish experience. (Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. (1980).
The Ukrainian Pioneer, Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls Art Gallery - Kurelek Collection.
The Ukrainian Pioneer tells the story of Ukrainian immigration between 1900 and 1939 using the 1971 mural of the same name as the illustrations.
(Still in print)
This book is
currently available from our gift shop and can be purchased
here!
Kurelek, W. (1976).
The Last of the Arctic, Toronto: Pagurian Press Limited. Kurelek comments upon and illustrates his
perceptions of Arctic life. (Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. and Arnold A. (1976).
Jewish Life In Canada, Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers. A collaboration of artist and
historian makes this examination of Jewish Life In Canada a historical as well as an artistic journey. (Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. (1976).
A Northern Nativity, Montreal: Tundra Books. Kurelek puts the Nativity into a Canadian context.
(Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1976).
Fields, Montreal: Tundra Books. Fields was a poster book with 12 16 x 20 inch images.
(Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. (1975).
Kurelek's Canada, Toronto: Pagurian Press Limited. This book records Kurelek's written and visual
impressions of life in the various Canadian provinces. (Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. (1975).
A Prairie Boys Summer, Montreal: Tundra Books. This companion book to a Prairie Boys Winter
continues Kurelek's remembrances of growing up on the Canadian Prairies. (Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1975).
The Passion of Christ, Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls Art Gallery and Museum. The 160 images of
the Passion of Christ illustrate the Book of Matthew from the New Testament. (Currently out of print)
Kurelek, W. (1974).
Lumberjack, Montreal: Tundra Books. Lumberjack depicts Kurelek's 1946 and 1951 summer logging
experiences in the Ontario and Quebec bush. (Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1973).
A Prairie Boys Winter, Montreal: Tundra Books. This is the book that began Kurelek's career as
an illustrator of the Canadian experience. (Still in print)
Kurelek, W. (1973).
O Toronto, Toronto: New Press. A look at life in Toronto through the eyes of Kurelek mixes social commentary, religion and day-to-day living. (Currently out of print)
CHRONOLOGY
1927 - Born March 3rd to Dmytro and Mary Kurelek on a farm near Whitford, 75 miles northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
1934 - The Kurelek family moved to Stonewall, north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the family children attended Victoria School.
1942 to 1946 - Entered and graduated from Isaac Newton High School in Winnipeg.
1947 & 1951 - Kurelek spent two summers in a bush lumber camps. The first summer was 1947 where he worked near Neys, Ontario (north of Lake Superior) and the second summer in 1951 where he worked at two camps one near La Tuque in northern Quebec and the other south of James Bay near Fraserdale, Ontario.
1948 - Late in the year the Kurelek family sold the Stonewall, Manitoba, farm.
1949 - Received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Manitoba and entered the Ontario College of Art. The Kurelek family moved to Vinemount, near Hamilton, Ontario. Fall - entered Ontario College of Art and withdrew after the first term.
1950 & 1951 - In Mexico and briefly attended San Miguel Art School.
1952 & 1953 - Traveled to London England and in June, 1952, until November 1953, was both a resident and out-patient of Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital. During this time he made a trip to the continent and viewed the influential works of Brueghel and Bosch as well as obtaining a labourer's position with the London Transport Commission. During this time he made his first sale of a painting entitle Tramlines (1952) and created the self-analytical painting The Maze (1953).
1953 & 1954 - Enters Netherne and creates therapeutic art works such as Where Am I? Why Am I? (1953) and Lord That I May See (1955).
1955 - Kurelek leaves Netherne.
1958 - Visits Turkey, Isreal, Greece and Italy.
1959 - Returns to Canada.
1960 - Begins illustrations of the Passion of Christ Series. First one-man exhibition at the Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, March 26 to April 7.
1962 - On October 8th marries Jean Andrews.
1963 - Completes the 160-piece Passion of Christ Series. Chosen for Biennale of Canadian painting at the National Gallery of Canada and exhibited Patience (1963). Kurelek was also in the 1965 Biennale and, from the An Immigrant Farms in Canada series, exhibited Manitoba Party (1964) that is now in the collection of the National Galley.
1966 - Ukrainian Pioneer Woman in Canada series created. Painted This Is The Nemisis (1966) now in the Collection of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.
1967 - National Film Board of Canada creates the 10-minute film KURELEK.
1968 - Travels to Cape Dorset on Baffin Island and creates 30 paintings. Creates a series of 20 paintings entitled Ukrainian Pioneer Woman in Canada.
1969 - Created the Prairie Farm Work series. Exhibited the Burning Barn Series at Hart House, Univ. of Toronto. Traveled to India, South Africa and Hong Kong on a Canada Council Fellowship.
1970 - Created Nature Poor Stepdame Series of 16 painting. Had a retrospective at the Edmonton Art Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta and the Art Gallery of Ontario traveled an exhibition.
1971 - Last Days and Humour series and the Ukrainian Pioneer Mural (1971) created. Two films Pacem En Terris and The Maze were produced.
1972 - Toronto Series of 21 paintings created.
1973 - Someone With Me, Kurelek's autobiography, A Prairie Boy's Winter, and O Toronto were published. Bush Camp Memories Series (1973) created.
1974 - The Happy Canadians and A Prairie Boys Summer series created. The book Lumberjack published.
1975 - Jewish Life In Canada, The Nativity In Canada, series created. 72 drawings for the Fox Mykyta (illustrating the poetry of Ivan Franco) completed. The Books The Passion of Christ, A Prairie Boys Summer, Kurelek's Country, and Kurelek's Canada published. Film Ukrainian Pioneers produced.
1976 - Irish In Canada, Rural Quebec Today series created. Fields, Jewish Life In Canada, The Last of the Arctic and A Northern Nativity published. Who Has Seen The Wind with Illustrations by Kurelek published.
1977 - Canadian Sport, Big Lonely, and The Polish Canadians series created. Trip to Ukraine to explore roots. Died November 3rd.
Kurelek at the Niagara Falls Art Gallery
Left to Right - Mykola Kolankiwsky, William Kurelek, Olha Kolankiwsky