Art lovers won't want to miss the opportunity to tear into the art exhibit Torn Canvas: Art and Times of Zeljko Kujundzic which is on at the Cowichan Public Art Gallery from June 13 through Aug. 23.
Kujundzic is one of British Columbia’s most influential yet under-recognized artists, said the gallery. Born in Subotica, Yugoslavia in 1920, his early passion for art was tested by the traumatic horrors of the Second World War. First captured by the Nazis, and then the Red Army, Kujundzic's survival of slave labour, combined with his daring escapes are the experiences that deeply shaped his artistic vision and philosophy, said a press release for the exhibit.
"I think this exhibition perfectly fits our mandate as a gallery committed to showing artists not from the Cowichan Valley, whose work is visually and intellectually challenging," said communications director Sarah Doyle. "Kujundzic was a groundbreaking artist in his time, bringing new application techniques and a European, sharply stylized approach to his imagery. The educational aspects of this exhibition are significant and will be explored over its duration."
Resisting his father's wishes to become a banker, he followed his heart and studied at the Royal College of Art in Budapest where he received his diploma in painting and sculpture. After the war ended he received a Master's degree of Fine Arts from the University of Budapest before making his final move across the Hungarian border to a Displaced Persons Camp in Austria, which quickly led to his assisted emigration to Scotland where he spent 10 years painting.
"According to his autobiography Zeljko Kujundzic was an artist from as long as he can remember," said Doyle. "Even as a child in the 1920s he viewed the world through the lens of a creative and fertile imagination. His father was a frustrated and constrained artist and Zeljko was determined not to let life repress his desire to create freely across many forms of artistic expression."
While Kujundzic created art across many mediums including weaving, painting, printmaking, and stained glass, it has been said that his work in ceramic sculpture over the years remains his most notable and significant contribution to the art world. His autobiography Torn Canvas, published in 1957, recounts the times of his youth and the struggles he faced during the Second World War.
Kujundzic moved his family to Canada in 1958.
After setting down roots in Cranbrook, B.C. in 1969, Kujundzic found inspiration and peace painting among the people of the Kootenay Nation, as he felt that Indigenous art had a certain affinity to the Byzantine roots of his own culture and reflected his artistic expression. Over the years he made his way to various locations in B.C. including Nelson where he worked as an art instructor, and Kelowna where he established the 'Art Centre' in 1964 which was a converted church that served as gallery, studio, as well as teaching facility.
Torn Canvas: Art and Times of Zeljko Kujundzic will be open to the public at the Cowichan Public Art Gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. While they do not charge admission, donations at the door are always greatly appreciated. For more information visit cowichangallery.ca
"It is my hope that this kind of exhibition will encourage people in the Cowichan Valley of all ages to introduce themselves to artistic expression that comes from the world outside our community," said Doyle. "Our mandate is educational and aesthetic. We feel CPAG is the ideal venue to expand appreciation of the transformative, and informative value of artistic expression."
