William Kurelek
 William Kurelek 1927 - 1977 |
Born in 1927 in northern Alberta, William Kurelek was the oldest of seven children in a Ukranian immigrant family. In 1934, the family moved to a farm in Manitoba, where Kurelek grew up. He was strongly advised by his parents to continue to work on the family farm, and his choice to pursue painting was harshly criticized by his father. The relationship between father and son was difficult for both and would strongly influence Kurelek’s work. Against his parents’ wishes, Kurelek studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and the Institudo Allende in San Miguel, Mexico. He also taught himself through books such as Kimon Nicolaïdes’s The Natural Way to Draw.
By his mid-twenties, Kurelek was living in England. In 1952 he checked himself in to the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital in London for clinical depression, emotional issues and eye pain. In the midst of his internal suffering, Kurelek was looking for guidance, and in 1957 he found solace in the Roman Catholic faith. His conversion to Catholicism was a definitive turning point for Kurelek both emotionally and artistically. While in England, his career blossomed and he exhibited his trompe-l’oeil work at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions from 1956 - 1958. He also learned the trade of fine framing, including the art of gilding, becoming a master finisher, and incorporated some of the techniques he learned into his painting, as well as making frames for his own paintings. Once Kurelek returned to Toronto in 1959, he was discovered by Av Isaacs of Isaacs Gallery, who also initially employed him as a framer. His first show there was in 1960, beginning an 18 year relationship, and by the late 1960s Kurelek was firmly established as a leading Canadian artist. Two documentary films were made about him – a National Film Board short entitled Kurelek in 1967, and in 1970, The Maze. While living in Toronto, he would make regular trips to Manitoba and Alberta to paint the areas he had lived in as a child. These would be the basis for his most celebrated works. During the 1970s, Kurelek began to write didactic text to accompany his paintings. The result was a number of popular children’s books such as A Prairie Boy's Winter, Lumberjack, A Prairie Boy's Summer and A Northern Nativity. Altogether, he wrote about 15 books on various subjects, including Kurelek’s Canada and his own biography entitled Someone With Me. In 1977, Kurelek briefly left Canada in search of his Ukrainian roots, journeying to the village where his father had grown up. Shortly after his return to Toronto, Kurelek died of cancer at the age of 50. Kurelek was formed by his early life on the prairies, his Ukrainian heritage and Roman Catholicism. The body of Kurelek’s work alternates between farm scenes of innocence and wonder, apocalyptic visions of the end of the world and biblical stories involving lessons of morality. Sometimes disturbing, sometimes naïve and joyous, his work is extremely personal and moving. |
Heffel 's Top Results
|
William Kurelek Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 26 x 23 1/2in 66 x 59.7cm oil on board Estimate: $300,000 - $350,000 CDN Sold for: $531,000 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2016 - 1st Session auction on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 |
|
William Kurelek Our Carolers in Western Canada 23 1/2 x 38in 59.7 x 96.5cm mixed media on board Estimate: $90,000 - $120,000 CDN Sold for: $383,500 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2015 - 1st Session auction on Thursday, November 26, 2015 |
|
William Kurelek King of the Mountain 39 x 72 1/4in 99 x 183.5cm mixed media on board Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000 CDN Sold for: $380,250 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2012 - 1st Session auction on Thursday, November 22, 2012 |
|
William Kurelek Frozen Jack Rabbits 24 x 48in 61 x 121.9cm mixed media on board Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000 CDN Sold for: $301,250 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Spring 2017 - 1st Session auction on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 |
|
William Kurelek A Ukrainian Pioneers First Winter 24 1/2 x 45 1/2in 62.2 x 115.6cm mixed media on board Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000 CDN Sold for: $259,600 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Spring 2016 - 1st Session auction on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 |
|
William Kurelek After the Blizzard in Manitoba 20 x 28 1/2in 50.8 x 72.4cm mixed media on board Estimate: $50,000 - $70,000 CDN Sold for: $245,700 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Spring 2009 - 1st Session auction on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 |
|
William Kurelek Return to Camp in Winter 48 x 23 1/4in 121.9 x 59cm mixed media on board Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000 CDN Sold for: $210,600 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2011 - 1st Session auction on Thursday, November 24, 2011 |
|
William Kurelek The Atheist 23 1/4 x 48in 59 x 121.9cm mixed media on board Estimate: $70,000 - $90,000 CDN Sold for: $188,800 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2014 - 1st Session auction on Thursday, November 27, 2014 |
|
William Kurelek The Section Foreman's Wife 36 x 46 1/2in 91.4 x 118.1cm mixed media on board Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000 CDN Sold for: $184,000 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fine Canadian Art Fall 2004 auction on Thursday, November 25, 2004 |
|
William Kurelek Brotherliness 34 1/4 x 13 1/8in 87 x 33.3cm mixed media on board Estimate: $70,000 - $90,000 CDN Sold for: $165,200 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Spring 2016 - 1st Session auction on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 |
Heffel's remains the premier venue to buy and sell important Canadian Art. We continue our tradition of market leadership with record breaking auctions. At Heffel's, you will work with the most experienced team of specialists in the business to help you buy and sell your fine art. Consign with Heffel and we will provide you with the best opportunity to maximize the value of your works.
