In Memory of Artist Mykola Bidniak

By Olena Wawryshyn

Art lovers and friends of the late artist Mykola Bidniak honoured his memory and celebrated his talent at an art exhibit held at St. Vladimir Institute in Toronto on February 3-5.  The exhibit, organized by the Institute, gave people a rare chance to view 43 of the Ukrainian-Canadian artist's works.

The official exhibit opening took place on February 3 at a commemorative evening. At the event, Lidia Smilka, the Institute's cultural director, welcomed guests and thanked the collectors, mostly from Ontario, but some from as far away as Winnipeg, who agreed to loan their works for this special occasion.

Smilka told those assembled that she and the exhibit committee learned much about Bidniak’s life from the collectors; each one had fond memories of the artist along with a story about how they acquired his art.

Mykola Bidniak was born on February 1, 1930 to Ukrainian immigrant parents from Bukovyna.   Though he was born in Toronto, he spent a part of his childhood in Ukraine.

During the Second World War, he lost both arms and an eye in an accident. Despite this tragedy, he did not give up his dream to be a  professional artist and learned to paint by holding a brush in his mouth.

Back in Canada, he completed his art training at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary and the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and became an active member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World.

In his later years, he lived in Ukraine where he worked as a professor at the Lviv Academy of Arts. He died in Lviv in 2000 at the age of 70.

At the recent Toronto exhibit of his works, three individuals who knew Bidniak shared their memories. Fellow artist Jacob Krekhovetsky reminisced about how he met Bidniak in the 1970s. He said that Bidniak was “an influential artist who had a strong character.” Krekhovetsky recounted how, when Bidniak saw a news report on television in the 70s about young Ukrainian-Canadians who were taking part in a hunger strike in support of dissidents in Ukraine, Bidniak joined the hunger strikers.

Krekhovestsky also said that when he saw some of Bidniak’s works painted before he lost his arms, he noted to the artist that there was no difference in the quality. Bidniak replied that is because art “comes from the soul.”

Bohdan Holowacki, who spoke as a member of the Ukrainian Artists of Canada, said that Bidniak was one of the best Ukrainian-Canadian artists, and likely one of the best artists in the world who painted without arms.

Halia Sluzar, a former member of the St. Vladimir Institute art committee  explained that Bidniak had felt a close association with the Institute and, in appreciation for past exhibits of his works, gave the Ukrainian institution a large painting depicting Kozak Mamaj as a gift.

All present remembered the artist during a moment of silence. During the evening, the founding artist director of the Canadian Bandurist Capella, Victor Mishalow, performed on the bandura. His music created a sophisticated mood for the cultural event.

Afterwards, those in attendance enjoyed refreshments and snacks and had an opportunity to watch a video on Mykola Bidniak’s life.

The commemorative evening was an elegant tribute to a remarkable Canadian-Ukrainian artist.