BIOGRAPHY

Welcome to my website and thank you for taking the time to visit and explore. My name is Richard Palanuk and I am a photo-based artist living and working in the beautiful city of Winnipeg located in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. Winnipeg is located on Treaty 1 Territory; the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

My work encompasses both traditional photography and fine-art printmaking. Some of my fine-art work is best described as fiction based on fact. Images somehow find me and once I record and start playing with these visual impressions, they start to evolve and begin to take on a life of their own. The magic is in this transformation, as the images become visual metaphors for my inner thoughts and emotions.

At the age of eight, I bought my first 35mm film camera from Brown’s Drugstore in Winnipeg. I spent that summer joyfully exploring the world around me through the camera lens; recording everything that appeared fascinating and unusual. This passion for photography stayed with me throughout my teenage years, but it wasn’t until I was twenty and ventured up North that I became aware of this particular calling. I made several trips to Northern Manitoba, teaching first aid to school students living in Indigenous communities. I took a camera with me and shot images of my students as well as the friendly and welcoming people in these communities. On one particular morning, before teaching a class in the community of Pukatawagan, I walked a few kilometres outside of the village and into the wilderness. It was so quiet and it was so still. I stood there mesmerized, but also energized by the images within the landscape that surrounded me. I felt suspended in the moment. It was here that I realized and understood my calling to Create.

I attended the University of Winnipeg studying Art History, English and Eastern Religions. After university, I worked for CBC Radio, CP Rail and the Province of Manitoba, where I was employed as a media technician.  Here, I was given the opportunity to work as a photographer and darkroom technician for the Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism. During the next three years I totally immersed myself in photography and attended Red River College to further hone my skills. I captured a variety of images for the Province and became skilled in the darkroom, printing black and white photographs for both the Hudson Bay and the Provincial Archives.

When the Province of Manitoba closed the Queen’s Printer and its related media services, I began to pursue a career as a freelance photographer. Working with writers, art directors, and editors proved to be a great learning experience and an exciting adventure. My particular interest in gardening images led to assignments with Canadian Gardening magazine and related publications. During this period, I was offered a contract position with the Ukrainian Cultural Centre where I continued to work in photography and was given the opportunity to learn custom-picture framing. This position allowed me to concentrate more on my artwork and I began to exhibit my work. 

My focus now is mainly on the creation of fine-art prints. My work can be found in private collections worldwide and in corporate collections, including: the Law Firm of D'Arcy & Deacon; the Business Development Bank of Canada; Canadian Heritage; Manitoba Writers' Guild; Manitoba Arts Council; the Government of Canada; the Manitoba Liquor Commission; the Province of Manitoba and the World Wildlife Fund. 

My artwork has been sold through the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Art Rental & Sales.

 

ARTWORK INFORMATION l ORDERING PRINTS

My work consists of limited-editions, printed on rag paper and canvas using archival/pigmented inks. Each edition is titled, numbered and signed. For canvas prints...only one edition is made. Paper prints have a two-inch border on each side of the image, providing sufficient space for matting and framing. I print my editions on an individual basis when an order is received. The prints may take up to two weeks to complete.

If you are interested in purchasing any of my work appearing on this website, please contact me at: rpalanuk@mymts.net. Presently, I just accept e-transfer payments, but will be adding more payment options. Thank you for visiting my gallery!

 

EXHIBITIONS l PUBLICATIONS

2024

Martha Street Studio Annual Members' Show + Sale

ANYTHING, WHATEVER! Platform Members' Exhibition

Artist Emporium, placed second in online show and contest

 

2023

The Platform Centre, "Anything Whatever", Exhibition and Sale

 

2022

Nature United,  The Nature Conservancy 2022 Photo Contest published six of my images.

Martha Street Studio, “2022 Member's Show + Sale"

 

2021

Martha Street Studio, “Members Show”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2020

The Platform Centre, “Anything Whatever”, Exhibition and Sale  (Cancelled)

Creative Manitoba, “Photo Flash Fest”, Members Show

 

2019

The Platform Centre, “Anything Whatever”, Exhibition and Sale

Martha Street Studio, “Members Show”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2018

The Platform Centre, “Anything Whatever 4”, Members Show Exhibition

Martha Street Studio, “Imprint”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2017

The Platform Centre, “Anything Whatever 2”, Exhibition and Sale

Martha Street Studio, “Members Show”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2016

Martha Street Studio, “Christmas Show”, Exhibition and Sale

The Platform Centre, “Members Show”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2015

Martha Street Studio, “Members Show”, Exhibition and Sale

The Platform Centre, Members Exhibition

 

2014

No Exhibitions

Spent the year shooting new images and editing.

 

2013

Martha Street Studio, “Renewal”, Exhibition and Sale

The Platform Centre, Ceci n'est pas une photo, Members Exhibition

ArtSlant (Los Angeles, CA.), Exposure, International Exhibition & Competition

 

2012

cre8ery gallery, “It Is What It Was”, Exhibition and Sale (Solo)

Exchange District Biz, "Pop-Up Art", Public Art Exhibition on Waterfront Drive

Pixels 2.1 Gallery, "60/40 Show", Exhibition and Sale

Martha Street Studio, “End of the World”, Exhibition and Sale

 

2011

AceArt, “Winter Warmer”, Exhibition and Sale

Open Studio (Toronto, Ontario), “Artist Proof Exhibition”

cre8ery, “Art-i-peg”, Exhibition and Sale

BECA Foundation (Albuquerque, New Mexico), “Lab AD”

cre8ery, “Strength by Numbers”, Exhibition and Sale

Open Studio (Toronto, Ontario), “100 Prints”

 

2010

Vantage Art Project (Vancouver, B.C.), Exhibition-in-Print, “Lateral Learning”

SNAP (Toronto, ON), 2010 Elevator Digital Photo Competition, “Silent Auction”

St. Norbert Arts Centre, Artwork used for the Stone Age Exhibition Poster

cre8ery, “99 Pieces of Art on the Wall, 99 Pieces of Art…..”

Platform, “Annual Members Exhibition” held at the Semai Gallery

AceArt, “Winter Warmer”, Exhibition and Sale

Open Studio (Toronto, Ontario), “Artist Proof Exhibition”

Martha Street Studio, Manitoba Printmakers’ Association, “The Members Show”

BECA Foundation (Albuquerque, New Mexico), “Curate This! 2010”

 

2009

The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science (Tallahassee Florida), “Mystery Masterpiece Wall”

Open Studio (Toronto, Ontario), “100 Prints”

cre8ery, “99 Pieces of Art on the Wall, 99 Pieces of Art…..”

Platform (The University of Winnipeg Gallery 1C03), “...something snappy!”

cre8ery, Auxiliary Gallery, Artists’ Showcase

The Winnipeg Art Gallery, Art Rental and Sales, “Featured Work” (Solo)

cre8ery, Auxiliary Gallery, “Open Studio & Art Sale”

 

2008

The Green Living Show (Toronto, Ontario), “Art of Nature”

Brio, The Winnipeg Art Gallery, “Featured Artist” (Solo)

The Art Gallery of Hamilton, “November Art Show”

Martha Street Studio, “All of the Above”

 

2007

Designtype, “Featured Artist” (Solo)

cre8ery, “99 Pieces of Art on the Wall, 99 Pieces of Art…..”

cre8ery, “These Walls Can Talk” (Solo)

The Platform Centre, “Members Exhibition”

 

2000 - 2006

Gallery Oseredok, “ Convergence”, 2006

The Platform Centre, “Members Exhibition”, 2005 & 2006

The Winnipeg Art Gallery, “Arty Gras”, 2005 & 2006

The Shaw Gallery, “Artist of the Month”, 2004 (Solo)

The Shaw Gallery, “Featured Artist of the Week”, 2003 (Solo)

The Winnipeg Art Gallery, “Grand Jury 7”, 2003

The Shaw Gallery, “Viewpoint x 5”, 2003

The Winnipeg Art Gallery, “Grand Jury 6”, 2001

Main/Access Gallery, “Members Access Show”, 2000, 2001 & 2003

Main/Access Gallery, “Show and Sale”, 2000, 2001 & 2002

Manitoba Theatre Centre, “Black and White Ball”, 2000

Adelaide-McDermot Gallery, Canadian Association for Photographic Art, “Winners Exhibition”, 2000