Volodymyr Savchak

I do not regret that my fate led me to Australia because, on that road, I had the opportunity to sincerely reveal the dignity of myself and the noble traits of my people.

Volodymyr Savchak

Volodymyr Savchak was a Ukrainian-Australian landscape painter and one of the first painting teachers to Aboriginal Australians.

Volodymyr Savchak was born on May 25, 1911, in the town of Berezhany in Ternopil Region. From 1934 to 1935, Savchak studied philosophy and natural sciences at Lviv University, and during 1935-1939 he studied at the Art Academy in Vilnius. Having returned to Berezhany in 1939, the artist began working as a decorator at the local theater “Sokil.” During the Second World War, Savchak taught drawing in Berezhany gymnasium. In 1944 the artist came to Germany, where he worked in Grossenhain in a photo studio. In 1948 Volodymyr Savchak immigrated to Australia. Living in the Bathurst Migrant Camp, he painted the interiors of public buildings. During 1956-1958, Savchak was a member of the St. Therese mission and taught painting for the aboriginal tribe Aranda (Northern Australia). In 1972 Savchak became a member of the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia, and in 1973 at the Art Exhibition of Artists of the Blue Mountains, he was awarded the best local artist. Volodymyr Savchak mainly painted realistic landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. The artist traveled a lot and was able to exhibit his paintings not only in Australia but also in the USA, Canada, and France (he was invited by his colleague Themistocle Wirsta). After Ukraine gained independence, Volodymyr Savchak started visiting his hometown. Volodymyr Savchak died in 2007. He was buried at Holoskivske cemetery in Lviv. For his contribution to culture, he was awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of Berezhany.”