William Kurelek: Life & Work | Andrew Kear

Born and raised on the Prairies, William Kurelek (1927–1977) created meticulously crafted paintings that predominantly explore his Roman Catholic religion and his Ukrainian-Canadian cultural roots, confronting viewers with the stark challenges faced by immigrants. For Kurelek, style and technical skill were meaningless; he wanted to express emotions in an idiosyncratic and deeply personal manner. He developed a distinct approach to painting, using ballpoint pens and texturing with coloured pencils then scrubbing and scratching at the resulting image. From didactic writings about his work sprang a number of children’s books, for which he also became well known in Canada.