Joseph
Cibula
Joseph Cibula was born in 1946 in
Meriden, Connecticut. As a small child, he spent many hours at his parentsč restaurant,
and one of his earliest memories is that of a frequent customer who used to come
in and show him how to draw. He soon proved to have a natural gift for painting
and drawing, and these early encounters laid the foundation for a passionate love
of art.
In 1966, Mr. Cibula enrolled
in the Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, known for its highly skilled
professors and trompe lčoeil style of painting. At Paier, he studied both minimalism
and trompe lčoeil, and developed a lifelong admiration for the work of Andrew
Wyeth. After finishing school, Mr. Cibula went to work in an advertising agency.
He soon found that the structure of the corporate advertising was unrewarding,
and in a life-changing moment, left his job to paint.
In
1984, a painting of a duck decoy earned the artist the prestigious Massachusetts
Duck Stamp Contest, and today, antique decoys rendered in exquisite detail in
oil and watercolor remain a frequent subject, in addition to antique toys, tropical
fish, and boats. Throughout his career, Mr. Cibulačs love of folk art, modern
art, and realism have led him to create a body of work that is stylistically superb
and wholly unique.