About Wilek

Vagabond Pages
Strona Wilka M

Painter, printmaker, aphorist, journalist.

In a recent interview with Silvershotz magazine, Photographer Jose Miguel Ferreira refers to Markiewicz’s aphorism, “Nature never repeats itself. The one who portrays nature is the only one who has a chance at originality.”  Wilek’s work takes the world as subject matter, realistic yet offering a sense of mystery through subtle color, texture and the artist’s own physical connection with the mediums he chooses.

In 1972 Wilek  founded The  Polish Canadian Courier, the first Polish independent paper in North America and published  and edited it until 1986.  The paper continues its existence under changed name and ownership.   He illustrated his book of original aphorisms, “Extracts of Existence”, with 43 woodcuts. Silcan House published “Okruchy Bytu” in 2004.  His articles, stories and illustrations have appeared in journals and newspapers in Canada, Switzerland, Poland, Spain. His “Ethnic Press” column ran 13 years in the Toronto Sun.

Wilek exhibits regularly in Toronto and in national and international juried shows. Painting, Oil Pastel and woodcut are his media.

Awards & Honours, selected

·         1969 “Vue urbain” Purchased by French Ministry of Cultural Affairs, PARIS, 1968

·         1st Prize & Medal of Antibes Cote d'Azur International, FRANCE, 1967

·         Invitational Bertrand Russell Centenary Exhibit, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND, 

·         HONOURABLE MENTION at International Exhibit, VARESE, ITALY, 1969

·         PRING AWARD FOR PRINTMAKING "Paperbacked/Paperbound",

       Blackwood Gallery, Erindale College, 1993

·         JURORS' AWARD "Juried 2000" 

      Glenhyrst, Art Gallery Of Brant, 2000

·         AWARD OF MERIT "Art on Edge"

      Glenhyrst, Art Gallery Of Brant, 2003

·         "Return to Paris" Pequeno Press U.S., awarded

       2001 Miniature Book Society

        DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARD.

·         “Disinformation as a War Crime” excerpted in “Many a Slip”  by Gregory James -- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2001

Collections

University Nicolaus Copernicus, Torun, Poland

University of Toronto, Erindale

French Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Paris

Illustrations

"Aspekty Filozoficzno-Prozatorskie", Poland, Illustrations & writing, 2006-2007, 2009

Cover “Polish Destinies in Spain (Losy Polakow)” by Florian Smieja, Silcan House Canada, 2003

Cover – Event Magazine, Douglas College Review, British Columbia, 1991

Cover – “Broken Mosaic (Rozbita Mozaika)” by Wladyslaw Dowbor, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2005

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