Oleh Lesiuk

Biography

Born in 1959 in Lviv, Ukraine.

In 1981, graduated with Honours from the Lviv National Academy of Arts.

Taught sculpture at the Ivan Trush Lviv State College of Decorative and Applied Arts (1982-1992).

Since 1992 lives and creates in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Works in studio, monumental and memorial sculpture, painting, murals.

Since 1980 has been a participant in over 150 group exhibits. His first solo exhibition was in 1994 at the KUMF Gallery, followed by exhibitions at Del Bello (1994), Cedar Ridge (1999), Improve Canada (2017-2018), Toronto Design Exchange (2018), KUMF Gallery (2023). Organized and participated in Symposia of Wood Sculpture at the Ivan Franko Home in 1999 - 2001.

Created several monuments, monumental signs, park sculptures and memorial plaques in Ukraine, USA, Canada, France and United Kingdom. Among them: Monument dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Settlement in Rochester (2003); Monument to Taras Shevchenko in Quebec City (2014); monumental sculptural composition “A Nation’s Memory”, Oakville, ON (2017). Small bronze statues were created for the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations, “Helping Hands” for the Ochrymovych Humanitarian Award (2010), and for the Shevchenko Foundation Literary Award, “Kobzar” (2020). He has designed the Jubilee Shevchenko Medal for the World Congress of Ukrainians (2015) and Medal for the Ivan Franko International Prize. Bronze memorial plaques include the Victoria Cross recipient Filip Konoval in Lens, France (2005); Dr. Raphael Lemkin relief at the Ukrainian Institute in New York; plaques in honour of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones in United Kingdom and Ukraine and many others. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has chosen Lesiuk’s sculptures as gifts for President Yushchenko and Ralph Goodale.

His company Ole’ Art & Sculpture successfully operates business across North America by providing art services to corporations and private sector.

Earned numerous awards and grants.

In 2006 Oleh Lesiuk received a Monument Builders of North America Civic/Public Award for the Monument in Rochester, NY commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Ukrainian Settlement, in 2015 the Taras Shevchenko Jubilee Medal of the Ukrainian World Congress, in 2021 the Worldwide Cultural Diplomacy Award, Charitable Organization Committee of Public Awards of Ukraine, and a Letter of Gratitude, Department of Culture, Nationalities and Religions of the Lviv Regional State Administration - for a significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian art abroad.

For over 30 years in Canada Lesiuk has actively participated both in Ukrainian and Canadian art organizations and institutions on a volunteer basis. For 5 years he served as executive member of the Sculptor’s Society of Canada, Special Projects in Canadian Sculpture Co-ordinator. As president of the Ukrainian Association of Visual Artists of Canada (since 2007), vice-president and art committee chair of the Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation for 22 years he continued the tradition of promoting Ukrainian art by organizing over 100 exhibits in Canada and the USA.

Oleh’s artworks are in private and public collections in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France, USA and Canada. Selected public collections include:

• Parliament of Canada, Ottawa, ON;
• City Halls in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton;
• Channel 47,
• OMNI TV,
• Toronto, ON;
• Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, Ottawa, ON;
• Ivan Franko Home, Mississauga, ON;
• Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation / KUMF Gallery, Toronto, ON;
• Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and
• Educational Centre, Winnipeg, MB.