Artists' Statement

… Capturing the Essence of the human subject at the moment of life creating a priceless heirloom to be cherished for generations. Portrait Artist Veronica Tsyglan , BFA Member of the Arts & Letters Club, Portrait Society of Canada, ASOPA. First place Winner of 2002 International Portrait Competition in Toronto

A founder, current president and driving force of the Portrait Society of Canada (www.portraitsociety.ca), Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan asserts that “Portraiture lives in Canada, and artists are creating works in this traditional form. Through the beauty of art, we seek to convey what it means to be involved in music, theatre, sport, business and other endeavors.”

Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan has exhibited internationally and is a leading figure in the contemporary revival of the classical tradition of fine art portraiture in Canada. In 2002, she won both a First Prize and the People’s Choice Award in the International Portrait Competition in Toronto.

March 2-26, 2010, her paintings of Olympians Simon Whitfield (triathlon) and Sasha Mehmedovic (judo) will be featured in the Portrait Society of Canada’s exhibition, Canadian Olympic Athletes: A Dialogue in Art at the John B. Aird Gallery in the MacDonald Block, 900 Bay Street, first floor, Toronto.

As a professional portrait artist, Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan follows in the footsteps of the old masters, who considered accurate drawing a means to capturing the beauty and character of their subjects. She perfected her skill in Toronto, where she has lived for 15 years; Frankfurt, Germany, where she worked in restoration and operated her own studio; Larnaca, Cyprus, learning Greek Orthodox iconography at the Agia Mina Monastery; and Moscow, having studied at the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from the Moscow State University. Her work has been exhibited in Europe and North America and included in several museums, and prestigious private and corporate collections. Her most recent Canadian exhibitions have included the St. Mark’s Coptic Museum, Imagine Art Gallery and 2009 Celebrity Art Salon in Arts and Letters Club of Toronto

She is particularly inspired by musicians, actors and bright individuals. Among subjects whose portraits she has painted are famed baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Mike Maedy (CEO, Canon Canada), financial authority Murray Pollitt, The Countess Von Wedel of Hanover, Olympic triathlon champion Simon Whitfield, virtuoso violinist Dr. Draw, TIFT (Talk is Free Theatre) director Arkady Spivak, acclaimed opera director Tom Diamond, Sasha Mehmedovic (2008 Beijing judo Olympian), Tatiana Stepanova (prima ballerina, Toronto International Ballet Theatre), Bishop Michael of Canada, and the Steam Whistle Brewing founders. Her current projects include of famed pianist Nikolai Demidenko and new age metaphysician Lee Carroll (www.kryon.com).

Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan was also featured in a new TV series, Star Portraits (www.starportraits.ca), which screened last fall on Bravo! In one episode, she and two other artists painted a portrait of soprano Measha Brueggergosman. The subject got to choose which of the portraits she wished to keep, and selected the one by Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan. Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan was also one of the producers of the documentary film The Miracle of the Portrait, a 2005 SVP co-production with the Portrait Society of Canada. It can be seen on YouTube. Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan is a member of the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, and is represented by the GB Portrait Agency, Bohemiarte Gallery in Montreal and the Portrait Society of Canada.