PETRO OBAL

Petro Obal

Graphic artist, portraitist, landscape painter. Studied privately in the studio of sculptor A. Koverko (Lviv), then at the Krakow Academy of Art with T. Axentowicz, W. Jarocki, W. Skoczylas, J. Wojnarowicz, and L. Wyczolkowski (1921-1926). Exhibited with HDUM (1923, 1926). Taught in Poland in the secondary school at Starograd (1926-1939) and in the Ukrainian School of Commerce in Sanok (1939-1941). At the end of 1941, moved to Stryi, where he taught in the Ukrainian secondary school (1942-1944) and the Pedagogical School (1944-1950). Became a member of ANUM (1932) and participated in their exhibitions (1932, 1933). Took part in the major retrospective exhibition of Ukrainian art (Lviv, 1935) and in a group exhibition with O. Moshkiv, I. Nyzhnyk, and H. Smolskyi (1935). He was repressed and exiled (1951-1956), then returned to Stryi, and was rehabilitated in 1957. Worked in various media, including water-color, woodcuts, lithography, and prints; designed ex libris, postage stamps, postcards, emblems, insignia, and cards. Most of his works are in the National Museum in Lviv, the Ternopil’ Natural Science Museum, the Art Museum of Ivano-Fran-kivsk, and the Petro Obal Home-Museum in Stryi, as well as in private collections.