Joseph Gabanek Art for Sale at Auction

b. 1923 - d. 2011

Jozef Gabanek was born in Budapest, Hungary, but soon moved to Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His art education began in Vienna, and later in Bratislava. From 1945-50 he studied figure painting and printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he received Honorary award for figure composition. To become more acquainted with the masters he admired most and to study their techniques in depth he executed a number of copies of paintings by Corot, Velasquez, Goya and others. Though portraiture and figure painting has always been a major part of Joseph's work - he found outdoor sketching and painting a rewarding experience, sketching and painting his way through Europe and later British Columbia, Canada. In Czechoslovakia he exhibited his work in solo and group shows and was a member of Czechoslovak Federation of Artists. After the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia he came to Canada and settled in Vancouver B.C. He began to show his work in newly created Gastown in the Exposition Gallery, where he had solo shows and participated in group exhibitions until 1973. He exhibited throughout B.C. extensively. He was represented by Alex Fraser Galleries. Joseph's paintings are in many private and corporate collections (Coast Paper Company, Davies & Company, Dr. Mathissen's Collection etc.) Among prominent Canadians, who commissioned portraits by Joseph Gabanek are Dr. Hugh Keenleyside, former chairman of B.C. Hydro, Hon. John Nicholson, former Lieut. Governor of B.C., in Government House, Victoria, Prof. Dr. VI. Krajina, University of B.C. and Dr. Mike Vagyi of Chase, BC. Dr. Vagyi invited Gabanek and his wife and fellow painter Antonia Lanik to the interior every summer to vacation and paint, which resulted in many paintings of BC’s Interior region. Soon after he settled in Canada Joseph was commissioned to execute a life size copy of Rembrandt's Night Watch, which was much admired in former Rembrandt Hotel, Vancouver. Throughout his artistic development Joseph did not let himself be distracted by each new trend and movement in art, but rather tried to follow his own independent way of expression and destination. His work reflects the refinement and maturity of European tradition.