TORONTO, May 31, 2013 /CNW/ - Bezpala Brown Gallery (BBG) is continuing its run of exhibitions with distinction, this time offering up two very different portrayals of women and life, blending the works of acclaimed Ukrainian artist, Mykola Zhuravel, in Allegories of Love with the distinctive portrayals of Canadian artist, Shyla Tibando, entitled Persian Poetry - The Allusions of Tahirih.
Shyla has mapped out successful clothing and illustration design career designing for notable brands such as FarWest, Concept, Modrobes, 2*ist, Alexander Julian and the Hudson's Bay Company's Vancouver Olympic and Signature collections. But it is her artwork that is our focus.
The poetry of Tahirih has given her great solace. Tahirih's writing and spirit embodies devotion and a rare feminist perspective in the Muslim world of the mid-19th century. It was probably Tahirih's disruptive nature and uncommon life that attracted Shyla. Tahirih's moments in history were loud, bold and courageous. In Tahirih's time, great effort was exerted to mute her mark including, eventually, her execution. Shyla's paintings reflect that experience. The neutral palette and structured composition is contrasted with the voice of acquiescent passion shining and dancing on the surface - a passion that cannot be contained.
Allegories of Love by Mykola Zhuravel elicits warm, textural, subtle artworks that, on closer examination, are subsumed with incredible detail, as can be seen in this fragment of mother and child. Zhuravel uses the ancient icon painting technique "levkas" (organic handmade gesso) to create a relief surface on carved wood, and then adds bright paints and graphical drawings, as well as such media as fabrics and frills - all to bring solid past into a modern art context. Mother, wife and child are primary themes in many of the exhibited works as he focuses on love and family. Zhuravel's ambitious style results in a remarkable series of living images that appear influenced and evolved from Klimt, both in the choice of palette and in their particularity.
Shyla's constrained passion is juxtaposed with Zhuravel's vivid depictions of love and spirituality making for an experience in contrasts. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 1st from 6 to 9 pm at BBG where you can enjoy the genius of both artists. The exhibition runs until June 29th.
BBG also wishes to notify our patrons of the auction on June 4th at Sotheby's in London of an 1876 portrait painted by famed Estonian artist, Johann Köler (http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/russian-paintings-l13112/lot.109.html). Catalogued as "Portrait of a Lady", there has been considerable debate whether the painting is of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. This is the first of several historic artworks BBG plans to contract for auction over the course of this year.
Image with caption: "Fragment of Mother and Child (2013) by Mykola Zhuravel (CNW Group/Bezpala Brown Gallery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130531_C3887_PHOTO_EN_27324.jpg
SOURCE: Bezpala Brown Gallery
Fariz Kovalchuk, Gallery Manager, (416) 907-6875, [email protected]. Bezpala Brown Gallery, 17 Church Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1M2, www.bezpalabrown.com
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