Gershon Iskowitz (Nov. 21, 1921-Jan. 26, 1988); Canadian artist of Jewish background originally from Poland. A Holocaust survivor of the Kielce Ghetto, who was liberated at Buchenwald. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gershon_Iskowitz) "My paintings are not abstract, they are real, they are very very much real, I see those things…I paint what I see.” A painter and draughtsman. Born in the village of Kielce, Poland in 1921. A temperamental child, Iskowitz held a strong interest in art, which his family supported. A favorite childhood pastime was watching films. In order to afford the tickets Iskowitz developed a barter system with the local movie-house manager, exchanging drawings of matinee idols for free admission. In 1939 Iskowitz’s uncle submitted a portfolio of his work to the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art. However, Iskowitz was never able to attend the Academy as on Sept. 1, 1939 the Nazis invaded Poland. Iskowitz and his brother were sent to work in a Nazi operated factory, building wheel spokes for the German Army. In 1942, at age 18 Iskowitz was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Two years later he was transferred to the Buchenwald concentration camp. While a prisoner in the camps Iskowitz would use ingenuity to locate drawing materials, and sketch late into the night, always being sure to hide his drawings come morning. He would often volunteer to clean rubble from allied bombing attacks, in the hopes of finding food or art supplies amongst the destroyed shops. The paper and watercolors used to create Condemned were found in such a way. In total Iskowitz would spend 6 years interned in Nazi concentration camps emerging at age 23. After the liberation on April 11, 1945 Iskowitz was sent to recuperate at a hospital near Munich. Two years later he began formal art studies at the Munich Academy of Art, as well as private studies with the Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka.... https://www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artist.php?iartistid=2654 undefined

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