The Ken Segal Gallery is pleased to present our new international art exhibition titled Landscapes Near and Far. This exhibition features Winnipeg artist William Pura and an artist living in Germany, Franz Stanislaus Mrkvicka. We are excited to bring another international exhibition to Winnipeg. The exhibition will open with an opening reception on Thursday, May 31, 2007, from 6:30 to 8:30pm and run until Tuesday, June 19.

In the spring of 2006, Bill Pura went on an exchange residency near Passau. Passau is a German town close to two other countries: Austria and the Czech Republic. There he met and became friends with several artists. One in particular was Franz Stanislaus Mrkvicka. When Pura came back and showed us Mrkvicka’s work, the idea of putting together a joint exhibition arose. This show will feature works by both artists.

A professor of fine arts at the University of Manitoba, William Pura, who has exhibited and been collected widely, is having his first exhibition of new work at our gallery. Pura, known for his strong photo-based realist paintings, is showing four new paintings. These paintings demonstrate the artist’s strong skills as a sophisticated painter. One, for instance, Nearing Munich, captures the movement and light during the ride from the airport in Germany. Photographs by Pura will also be featured in this exhibition – photos of the Bavarian Forest, Costa Rica, and the Manitoban landscapes. Over the years Pura has developed a strong eye for photography. His photographs are captivating, with powerful compositions.

Born in Vienna, Austria, Franz Stanislaus Mrkvicka is exhibiting selected works from four series: Sequences - Landscapes, Green Pictures - Series Weiden, Unknown Landscapes, and Masks. In the first two series, a semi-abstract viewing of general perceptions – surface, density, nearness, distance, light, etc. – is made through a metaphor landscape. Unknown Landscapes is a metaphor for making the world visible. These series feature paintings of enchanting imagined landscapes, some with thick forest like landscapes with meditative dimensions. Masks is a series he has been creating since the 70s. Its theme is the falling back of the human being to its genetic and social history expressed in the “other face”. Mrkvicka has sent his work for the exhibition, but will not be attending at the opening.

We surely hope that local art lovers will take this opportunity to see international contemporary arts on display at our gallery. The Ken Segal Gallery is committed to exhibiting and representing leading and emerging Canadian and international contemporary artists from different cultural backgrounds. For more information, an interview with the artists or press-ready images, please contact the gallery.