Someone With Me - The Autobiography of William Kurelek

by William Kurelek

Compelling in its honesty, this is William Kurelek's life...as only he could tell it. Confined to a mental institution for 4 years, he went on to triumph as an artist of international acclaim and recognition. Poignant and inspiring, this book describes how one of Canada's leading artists battled incredible obstacles in his struggle towards an understanding of his own life and genius.

523 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

William Kurelek (Wasyl), painter and writer, evangelist. Influenced by Bosch and Brueghel and by prairie roots, his Ukrainian heritage and Roman Catholicism, Kurelek's realistic and symbolic paintings record his historic culture and religious vision. The oldest of 7 children, he was expected to help run the farm. His lack of mechanical aptitude attracted harsh criticism from his father, as did his wish to be an artist. He studied at Winnipeg, Toronto and San Miguel, Mexico. In England (1952-59), he sought psychiatric help and was hospitalized for severe emotional problems, depression and eye pain. He converted to Roman Catholicism (1957), credited God with his healing, and began to paint the Passion of Christ according to St Matthew. This series of 160 paintings is housed in the Niagara Falls Art Gallery and Museum.
Returning to Toronto, he was established by the early 1960s as an important painter, alternating realistic works depicting his prairie roots with didactic series. In the 1970s he began to publish his paintings with simple texts. His books for children (A Prairie Boy's Winter, 1973; Lumberjack, 1974; A Prairie Boy's Summer, 1975; and A Northern Nativity, 1976) have become modern classics. His autobiography, Someone With Me (1973, rev ed 1980), ends with his marriage to Jean Andrews (1962). Kurelek was an outstanding artist with a unique idealistic and pragmatic vision. A modern Jeremiah, he painted a coming apocalypse - divine justice on a materialistic, secular society.

Reviews

[Victoria Ilgacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew to love William Kurelek's work after the first time I first saw his paintings at the Art Gallery of Ontario. On different occasions I brought a friend with me to see his work at the gallery. A few of them, who knew of him, were able to tell me little bits about his life, here and there. Another friend introduced me to children's books he had illustrated and other books about him, which brought me to read this autobiography. After this I decided I wanted to see more of his work and started searching out galleries where they housed it and have found a few in nearby cities, that I will visit sometime in the near future.

Kurelek lived with a debilitating depression and in reading this book, it was good to hear that he was able to find freedom from it, after much struggle though, which gives some hope to others.

[Ciprian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very (almost painfully) detailed autobiography of the Canadian painter W. Kurelek. Useful if one wants to better understand Kurelek's work, and to a certain degree to get an idea of how life was for a farm boy of Eastern European immigrants in Canada's middle of the 20th century.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not super well written, but pretty interesting. Definitely some insight into kurelek’s depression and difficult relationship with his family.