Daria Mudryj

Daria Mudryj

I grew up in a richly coloured and textured culture in the North End of Winnipeg. “Little Europe” of the 50’s and 60‘s. I was a child of Ukrainian immigrant parents, my family home a wondrous island in the stream of time that shaped my map of the world and inspired me to draw and paint. When I was a Fine Arts student at the University of Manitoba, my sketchbooks were filled with drawings of” North End People”. My “Mama” and “Baba” were of course the   most  popular. A “Baba” from the “Old North End” has wandered into a more recent painting “City Park” and sits on a bench..

I am very blessed to still frequent my mother’s home in the North End. It is filled with richly coloured and elaborately patterned wall hangings, embroidered tablecloths and pillows etc. I feel that being surrounded by vibrant colours and exciting patterns from birth influenced and inspired me. I love colour and I respond to it strongly. It makes my spirit soar and compels me to paint.

I work with a variety of materials: acrylics, watercolour crayons and pencils, inks. conte, tempera, oil pastels, etc. on paper and canvas. I have also worked with oils.

My inspiration comes from everything around me – be it a bowl of fruit, a flower garden, a man on a bench, or a knobby tree. I work from life, memory or my imagination, or any combination of the above. I react strongly to a subject and paint what I feel. Therefore when I paint a tree purple and blue, it feels very real to me. Perhaps I am attempting to paint the life force or the spirit within the subject, or perhaps I am projecting myself onto the subject and merging with it. I am struggling to express myself in words, yet words are not my chosen form of expression.

-Graduated with BFA Honours from School of Art, University of Manitoba, 1975

-Studied under Ivan Eyre, G. Eliasson, Robert Bruce, Bill Pura, Bob Sakowski & Alex Bruning

-Exhibited in group shows including The European Picture Frame Gallery, The Graphite Gallery, and The Winnipeg Art Gallery

-Participated in various juried exhibits {including a purchase prize}

-Received several Manitoba Arts Council grants

-Two solo  exhibitions at the Ukrainian Cultural & Educational Centre 1977, 1979

{received a grant for the “Ukrainian Pioneer”exhibition 1979}

-Exhibited with Ann Smith i at the Shoe String Gallery in Saskatoon 1977

Solo exhibition Fleet Galleries ,Winnipeg ,2011

– Solo exhibition— ConservatoryFoyer Gallery, Assiniboine Park , Winnipeg, 2011

-Exhibition with Oleh Ilnyckyj  Fleet Galleries   Winnipeg  2012

-Solo exhibition”Spring Florals” at Pavilion Gallery Museum, Assiniboine Park Winnipeg ,2012-

-Group Exhibition at Conservatory Foyer Gallery. 2012

-Two Person  Exhibition with Oleh Ilnyckyj at Fleet Galleries, Winnipeg 2013, “Clouds Adrift”

Group Exhibition  ,Fleet Galleries ,Winnipeg 2014

-Work in private collections in Canada, U.S. & Europe; also in Government of Manitoba Collection

-Taught courses in drawing & painting &sculpture at the Winnipeg Art Gallery; also for City of Winnipeg,  Age &    Opportunity ,Community Centers in Wpg. & privately.

-Currently teaching at  the  Crescentwood , River Heights,  and Archwood  Community Centres.