The painter Michael Gurban, recipient of the Fichman Art Prize for 2009, stops the moment, preserves the beauty, reminds us of what is really important.
Michael Gurban's paintings have great delicacy and a light reminiscent of the first rays of the sun in the morning of an overcast day. However, there is a feeling of freshness and optimism, a kind of magical purity.
His still life painting is so alive to the eye and not only thanks to his excellent realistic technique, but thanks to the soul that sees the source of life in every object and subject, as if the soul of the still life is revealed to the eyes of the painter.
With soft pastel colors and delicate contours, he likes to paint his flowers, corners of the house and objects.
Corners are indeed one of the main subjects in his paintings. And especially the corner of the window overlooking the view outside; The window sill bearing flower pots or home decoration details, the window from which a forest view can be seen with the lace curtain drawn to its side. A wooden dresser with a jar of flowers illuminated by lantern light. And also the corners of the soul - the accordion player sitting on a branch and playing for pleasure, the child playing in the corner of the room.
Outside and inside. The view instills the security of the warm and peaceful interior of the house, to the infinite mystical forest that can be seen from the window. A violin and a book - moments that appear in his paintings hint at the richness of man's interiority, and the musician sitting alone and playing to the outside world.
The flowers and nature are drawn delicately and with uplifting beauty.
Michael Gurban, winner of the Fichman Art Prize for 2009. Born in Ukraine in 1956.
He graduated from the Kishinev Higher School for the Painting Arts and the Painting Academy in Lviv.He immigrated to Israel with his family in 1990 and experienced the sharp transition from a famous painter in Russia to an unknown artist in Israel.
Gurban is known and respected in his field in the world. About a third of his works were exhibited for a year at the famous Hermitage Museum in St. Pittsburgh. He even participated in a traveling international exhibition in Europe called "Peace and War Through the Eyes of Artists" which presented art from the 12th century to the 20th century from leading collections and museums in the world. In the exhibition, three of his works were shown alongside paintings by Chagall, Dali, Kandinsky and more.
Gurban works from six to six and paints according to themes. Windows series, thrones series, archeology series, music series, creation of the world series. At the moment he paints as he likes - a few items from each series, but make no mistake, the technique is the secondary thing for him, and he brings his soul and spirit into his art.
"Technique is nothing, you can't lie to the viewer with a beautiful stain, a person is looking for something deeper."
— Michael Gurban
The first memory in painting comes from his childhood in a village in Ukraine. Every week a film would come to the village. After the screening, Gurban would sit and draw the rest of the film for the children sitting around him. That way he could continue the fantasy and change the ending, it was like that every week. These were the first lessons in how to put fantasy in the brush and pass it on.
He says: "In the fourth grade, we left the village and went to Chisinau, where the High School of Arts is located. Father wanted me to study music because I played the gramushka. But I wanted to study painting and begged my parents to let me. My mother took my paintings to school even though the year had already started and registration was full, and they were immediately convinced. From the age of ten I studied painting and went on to my bachelor's and master's degree. At the age of 27, I finished my art studies."
Gurban gets the inspiration for painting from his childhood. As he says: "I dig into childhood in every picture. It doesn't matter what you paint, but what message you want to convey. Through objects or flowers, you can convey feelings like love, anxiety, sensuality. In a painting that speaks, there is something about the feelings, the movements, not the technique, and so in true art. Contemporary art is looking for scandal, provocation, because it attracts an audience, unfortunately that's what art critics are looking for today."
Gurban is dedicated to his art and sees it as a mission.
"I am appealing to a person who wants to live in a good environment because ecology is very important to me. I want to mention that these flowers, this landscape, the greatest gift given to us must be remembered, so why destroy it? This is my goal and this is what I feel. I want That everyone remembers this beauty, the colors, is the most important thing. We have to give everything to preserve this beauty, we have to give our lives for it, this is what we will leave for our children. What will we save - money? The money won't help if they don't have air."
