Myros Buriak, L.L.B. (born August 25, 1943; died April 5, 1987) was a self-taught Canadian Painter, active in the 1970s and 80s, best known both for his realism and abstract paintings.
Myros was born in Winnipeg, the second of three children, to lawyer Julius Buriak and wife Mary. He followed a family tradition when he entered law school and was called to the bar in 1968. He practiced law for 3 or 4 years and was known in Winnipeg during the turbulent years of the late 1960’s and early 70’s as Winnipeg’s “hippie lawyer”, often representing poor clients pro bono. Being unhappy in the law profession, Myros enrolled in the School of Architecture at the University of Manitoba and transferred in 1972 to the University of British Columbia. Still not satisfied, the restless spirit withdrew from UBC.
By 1973 Myros, with his wife and son, were living on an island in Howe Sound for a year where he began to experiment with drawing and painting en plein air. From the very beginning he exhibited a remarkable talent with the difficult medium of water colour and acrylic.
In 1974 he threw himself whole-heartedly into the discovery of painting, experimenting with different media and styles. Ultimately he became most comfortable with gouache, mixing his own pigments, using centuries old recipes for concocting his palette, and alternating between representational and abstract painting. As a result of the expertise he developed, he was invited to become a lecturer at Emily Carr College of Art in the subject of art materials.
An active member of the Vancouver art scene through the 1970’s and 80’s, Myros was a friend and colleague of many artists of his time including Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, painter Robbie Sutherland, playwright Tom Cone, and editor and author Russell Keziere, and was widely admired by the artists in his milieu. He was a painter at a time when painting was considered a ‘dead’ art form. Photography, installation art, and conceptual art were seen to be replacing ‘old-fashioned’ art forms such as paint on paper or canvas. Nevertheless, Myros persisted in exploring the possibilities of the two dimensional problems that painting offered.
He exhibited frequently to critical acclaim. His explorations in different historical and contemporary styles confused some in his audience. His paintings ranged from super-real cityscapes and landscapes to abstract expressionism. While almost every representational piece would be snatched off his easel by eager buyers, his abstracts were a greater challenge at the time for more conservative west coast art lovers. In his last years he began experimenting with monotypes, working out of the Jay Gallery in New York City.
Wanting to find a more like-minded art scene, Myros moved to Montreal in 1986 and died there, too soon, on April 5, 1987 from a heart attack.
His son and sole heir, Amos Buriak, is offering some of Myros’ work for sale. Please review the galleries and go to the Contact page to give feedback and express your interest in the collection.
