ABOUT THE ARTIST
Janusz Charczuk, Toronto.
ICONOGRAPHER
An architect, he has a Master's degree of Architecture from the Faculty
of Architecture and Urban Planning, Technical University of Gdansk, Poland
(Politechnika Gdanska).Former professional soccer player for the Polish Prime
Division soccer club "Lechia" Gdansk.
As well as architecture, he studied fine arts, which included seminars, lectures
and tutorials in the principles of architectural forms, composition, freehand drawing,
painting, sculpture and history of art.
Janusz immigrated to Canada in
1985.
He has worked as an architect-designer in Poland, the United States and Canada for over 30 years,
providing industry consultation and implementation expertise in architecture and related fields.
His fascination with iconography materialized years ago, when he began to study tempera icon painting. Janusz has discovered a way of connecting his spiritual journey with an art of icon painting.
According to the Orthodox doctrine:
"The saints are not visible to mankind, just
as a blind man cannot see the light. The saints may only be seen in
the mind's eyes and these are the eyes an icon is addressed to. An icon
itself is not so much a painting as it is a prayer, hence it's majestic
simplicity and peacefulness. All that is depicted in it reflects divine
orderliness."
We often ask theologians and church leaders why there has been a resurgence in icons? They most commonly tell me that it is due to a deep hunger for us to contemplation .