Morosan: The Man Who Painted White Rock

Morosan: The Man Who Painted White Rock is a retrospective exhibit featuring works from the 1970s until Morosan’s death in 2008.

Vojislav (Voja) Morosan lived his life engaging with beauty and history. He was born in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia under Nazi occupation. In 1965 he travelled to Switzerland, then to France where he studied art for 3 years, working as a car mechanic to support himself. He immigrated to Ontario in 1968 where he specialized in painting streetscapes featuring historic buildings. In 1982 he met and married the woman who would become his business partner and his biggest champion, Norma. It was Norma who initially fell in love with White Rock and proposed that they move here in 1996. Morosan agreed and he became a familiar sight around White Rock, painting en plein-air wearing his straw hat, accompanied by his little dog, Pebble.

Morosan painted with a high key palette and a realistic style filled with optimism. In his work the buildings look new, the streets are clean, and the sun always shines. His fine eye for detail, light, and colour and his commitment to historic accuracy can be seen in all his streetscapes.