CHICAGO – It’s often been observed that there are surprisingly few places in even remote corners of the world where a traveler might not stumble across one of the many millions of Ukrainians dispersed around the globe. This reality is a reflection of Ukraine’s long and difficult struggle to establish a stable homeland for its remarkably resilient people. All of these figures had an undeniable cultural and societal impact on their new homelands.
Among these accomplished emigrants are a number of artists born in what is now Ukraine who settled in Australia following the horrors of World War II. Six such artists were recently honored with an imposing exhibition of selected works at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago.
The exhibition, “Australian Artists from Ukraine,” was made possible by the efforts of two private Illinois collectors who assembled the exhibit with selections from their own collection and other sources. The featured artists included Ludwik Dutkiewicz, Wladislaw Dutkiewicz, Maximilian Feuerring, Stanislaw Halpern, Michael Kmit and Timothy Messack.
A highlight of the exhibit’s opening night on March 27 was the appearance of the interim consul general of Australia, Victoria Walker. Consul General Walker was accompanied by Deputy Consul General Vanda Dei-Tos. Ms. Walker expressed her government’s gratitude for the contribution of these artists to the vibrancy of Australia’s post-war arts scene. She presented a letter of appreciation from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The prime minister’s assessment affirmed a 1953 review by Australian art critic Paul Haefliger who wrote: “Of all the foreign aspirants to art who have visited these shores since the war, Michael Kmit is the only one who has made an impression on the present generation of painters.”
Attendees were impressed by the exhibit as was the reviewer for the online arts website, art.newcity.com. Chris Miller noted that Feuerring’s works evoked a “delight from each moment of life” while Kmit ’s “ebullient 1953 landscape of the recreational waterfront at Elizabeth Bay presents a place where I could live forever.” Miller went on to write “all six painters seem to be seeking vitality, force and inner illumination. Driving out from the center, their paintings say, ‘I’m here in the exciting modern world – come join me!’ ”
The exhibit closes on May 31. For more information see uima-chicago.org. Exhibit catalogues may also be ordered via the UIMA website.