Artist's work transcends cultures
"To come face to face with one of Leon Oks' paintings is to become mesmerized by a virtual wall of pure colors," said Dennis Benda, publisher of Art a la Carte International.
Oks, 68, of Vernon Hills, hails originally from the city of Zhitomir in Ukraine. As a child, long before he could even write, Oks recalls being seduced by the works of such great masters of Renaissance art as Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
"I was drawn to tracing these beautiful images, and only much later did I realize that I was naturally drawn to the very best of human possibilities," Oks said.
Leon Oks' work will be displayed Dec. 1 and 2 in an exhibition at the American Legion Memorial Civic Center in Morton Grove.
But as an artist living under the former Soviet regime, Oks' work was heavily censored. His very first show closed after only two days. "I presented a portrait of a man, a work that I was exceptionally proud of because I thought I had captured the essence of the man's emotions."
Government officials agreed, but not in the way that he had hoped.
"They told me that the man in the painting looked so distraught that they didn't want it hanging in the gallery any longer," he said.
Devastated, Oks went back to his teacher at the Zhitomir School of Fine Art and was surprised at the response he received. "He simply smiled at me and said 'You don't understand what is going on. This is a great victory for you. You are an artist who is able to show the reality and that's what they don't like.'" Oks recalled.
These early experiences continued to serve as a stumbling block for many years. Despite amassing several hundred works, "I never felt that I was good enough," said Oks.
His first big break came when he decided to go door to door after work one day, and simply show his work to any gallery in downtown Chicago that would care to look.
He didn't have to go far -- the very first gallery Oks stopped at accepted his pieces -- and he has never looked back.
"I can not believe all the feelings he manages to capture in each painting," said Madeline Gabbai, owner of Royale Galleries in New York City, now the exclusive presenters of Leon Oks' works on the East Coast.
"I have traveled through the world, but from the moment that I saw Leon's works, I felt overcome with an exuberance created by his style, his colors and subject. He abstracts the essence of his subjects in a unique, whimsical way and makes it his own," Gabbai said.
Whether painting a landscape or a figurative study, Oks' technique with color is evident with each stroke of his brush. Seduced by color himself, he in turn endeavors to seduce the viewer with it.
"I want people to see the world through my eyes, and I always hope that my art imbues people with feelings of pure joy. There is so much destruction in the world that it is wonderful when we are able to naturally bring out positive energy through our own creations," said Oks.
Inspired by giants of Impressionism such as Gustav Klimt and Claude Monet, Oks' work has been called "contemporary classicism." His figurative pieces combine the female form with nature, particularly wild orchids, to create a type of imaginary expressionism.
He combines dynamic movement with multiple perspectives, deftly indicating his ability to tap into the range of human experience, revealing both joy and sadness in equal measures.
"Interaction with my viewers gives me confidence to trust my artistic instincts. My aspiration is to express passion and the range of emotions I experience while painting," said Oks.
Currently, Oks' work is included in many public, private and museum collections, and has been featured in more than 50 one-person and group shows across America and Europe. He has been won first-place awards numerous times in international competitions and forums, such as the Biennale Internazionale dell'Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy.
It is also in Italy, the Mecca of art in many people's estimation, that Oks was honored with the title of "Professional Associated Academician of Art" by the directors of Accademia Internazionale Greci-Marino del Verbano, a designation that affords him the right to teach art at any university throughout the world.
In addition, Oks' works have also been featured in countless publications, from books to magazines. In the current publication "Famous: Selected Contemporary Artists," published by World of Art, London, Oks was honored with six pages showcasing his works, more than any other artist.
"Oks has such facility in his ability to show a depth in pattern," noted Larry Bradshaw, an art professor at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and juror of the Ninth Annual Painting, Drawing, Photography & Print International Art Exhibition, at which Oks' works were chosen for special recognition among nearly 400 other entries from around the world.
The exhibition is featured online through Oct. 31 at www.upstreampeoplegallery.com.
The local exhibition is at American Legion Memorial Civic Center, 6140 Dempster St., Morton Grove. For more information, call (847) 663-6110 or visit the Web site www.art-beyond.com.