Mariupol’s Madonna Painting

Ukrainian artist Mykola Zhuravel breaks the boundaries between painting and sculpture, performance and installation art. Zhuravel turns to nature to create thriving monuments to man’s links to the Earth itself. He searches for compatibility between Earth and mankind, while pointedly making reference to the obstacles that human beings have placed in the way of a harmonious existence. Zhuravel’s ambitious style results in a remarkable series of living images of a visionary utopia. By using levkas, a traditional primer employed by icon painters, Zhuravel unites the legacies of Byzantine icon painting with his contemporary painterly technique. The result, richly vibrant and inventive contemporary works that emerge as modern-day icons. Mykola Zhuravel was born in 1960 in Magnitohorsk, Russia. Currently resides and works in Toronto, ON, Canada.