On this Passover evening, the McMichael Canadian Collection has posted this moving painting by renowned Canadian artist William Kurelek, called Doctor’s Family Celebrating Passover, 1975.
McMichael recently brought the painting into its collection. The image comes from a suite of 16 paintings titled Jewish Life in Canada that Kurelek painted in the 1970s to honour his friendship with Toronto art dealer Avrom Isaacs. For those who know Kurelek’s background, this is a poignant story. Isaacs saved the artist by offering Kurelek a framing job at his gallery before eventually discovering his employee’s remarkable creative gifts.
A devout Roman Catholic, Kurelek intended Jewish Life in Canada as a gesture across the cultural divide, implicitly demonstrating his open-mindedness toward Canadians of cultural and religious backgrounds different from his own.
The McMichael is exhibiting Kurelek’s Jewish Life in Canada through July 2023, details here.
A sweeping online exhibition on Kurelek’s life and work, here.
Full image credit, top of post: Doctor’s Family Celebrating Passover in Halifax, 1975, mixed media on board, 44.5 × 61 cm, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Photo: Michael Cullen, Dunnville, Ontario, © Estate of William Kurelek, courtesy of the Wynick / Tuck Gallery, Toronto
Categories: Art
Canadian Art Junkie 
It’s like a colourful, more optimistic version of Vincent’s The Potato Eaters 🥔
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It’s always so interesting to hear how people interpret or relate to a piece of art. Your comment included. Thank you for that.
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You are most welcome. I also got Grayson Perry vibes, you could imagine a whole story from all your colourful characters 🌈
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I can certainly see the appeal. His paintings tell story.
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That’s astute – all his paintings are narrative as you say. Thanks for that.
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Thank you for sharing these wonderful paintings. Kurelek is new to me.
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It’s a pleasure to intro this phenomenal artist’s work. He was primarily a dark, tortured soul who managed to break through to the light in many of his most revered works. But his darkness also produced some of the most powerful paintings, too. (All explained if you ever have time on the online retrospective https://kurelek.ca
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Thank you for the link J. I’ll check it out.
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I’d never seen these Kurelek works, but I used to linger in the Kurelek area in the AGO and be amazed every time at his ability to show us the bone-deep cold of Prairie winters… thanks for this
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So well put, and me too at the AGO. My favourites are in the Ukrainian Pioneer series, so huge, moving and exquisitely worked.
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There’s also (if my memory is attaching the right artist to this work) the panting he did of his wonderfully messy cluttered Toronto apartment… so very human and real
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Beautiful use of color. Thanks for sharing another wonderful artist.
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You are so welcome. Kurelek has been one of my favourites for a very long time. I find all his works irresistible.
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