Family Portraits

Tired of the same old birthday gift? Consider commissioning a portrait for your friends and family – that will be a gift they’ll always remember! A portrait is a deeply rich way to capture your life and accomplishments, as well as to ensure your legacy. Oleg Tsank is available for painting individual and family portraits. Please email us for scheduling and pricing info@yiddishland.ca.

Oleg Tsank is a contemporary artist currently based in San Diego, CA. He is known for his vibrant paintings that hover between the literal and nonrepresentational. His paintings are in private collections both domestically and internationally.

Oleg works in several genres, including portraiture, landscapes, and still life. His work resonates with people around the world. “I like portraits better, but I prefer people to sit for the painting, and not many people like to do that. If working from the photo, it lacks personality. If you work from life, you get more character from life as opposed to photography. The photo is still, and everything is flat; all the colors are flat. The camera treats everything the same. The human eye can capture more of the world around you. If you work from life, you see how things change right before your eyes, especially from the landscape. I prefer portraits, but the landscapes are on the same level. There is always a story that you can add to the landscape, and it is always interesting. You can pick out certain things when you paint. It becomes a record of the changes and certain uncertainties that can provoke questions from the viewer.”

Born in 1983 in the small city of Kamianske on the Dnipro River in Ukraine, Oleg, and his family, left for the US when he was twelve. His memories of Ukraine, though fragmented, are deeply ingrained in his art. “I remember bits and pieces because I left when I was young. The scenery was stunning – it stands out in my memory, especially the picturesque Dnipro river banks and the bright colors of forests and city trees in the fall. It influenced my art, even if subconsciously”, Oleg reminisces.

You can view some of his art in our virtual gallery.