The artist Alexander Gutyrya was born in a Ukrainian town of Bakhmut that was founded in the early sixteenth century. The rich cultural and historic heritage of the town and the region as a whole had a great impact on development of the future artist.
Alexander graduated from the Donetsk College of Applied Arts in 1985. He jumpstarted his professional career by participating in his first group exhibition at the Donetsk Museum of Arts the following year. At that time, very few of the young artists had the privilege of exhibiting their works at such institutions. Since then, Alexander took part in numerous solo and group exhibitions domestically and abroad. His works are found in many private and public collections in Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Finland, USA and Canada.
The year of 2004 was marked for Alexander with his arrival on the Canadian soil to become a part of the Canadian cultural mosaic. He presently works and resides in Toronto, Ontario as a Canadian citizen.
When Alexander was a teenager his parents used to take him every year on a trip to the heart of Ukraine, the Poltava region, where his aunt lived. The woman worked at the tapestry factory and during Alexander’s visits she would take her beloved nephew along with her to work. Alexander enjoyed spending hours on end contemplating the process of creation of intricate tapestry patterns on fabric. Alexander learned this complex technique of weaving with great passion. This early interest in tapestry, specifically its exquisite patterns and color combinations, had laid the foundation for his unique artistic style.
Alexander is a very diverse artist. He paints with oil on canvas and on wood, carves wooden plaques, does graphic art and creates sculptures. Creating sculptures is his real passion. When sculpting, he works with wood, sandstone, and bronze. In his sculptures Alexander likes to incorporate such materials as mammoth ivory, marble and colored glass. These combinations of juxtaposing materials create powerful effects that greatly enhance the aesthetic and philosophic value of the artist’s work.
Alexander Gutyrya’s organically stylized sculptures are figurative and characterized by abstraction. The voluptuous forms of his works are multidimensional in what they convey. It can be a certain mood, specific moment in time, a thought or an idea. All these aspects of the artist’s inner world are conveyed in his works either simultaneously or in portions. However, beneath the surface of each work one thing remains constant: the storytelling is always unique, unforgettable and captivating.
18-50 Forest Manor Rd., Toronto, Ontario, M2J 1M1 gutyrya@rogers.com www.alexandergutyrya.com 647-202-6602