NEW YORK, NY.- Shapiro Projects officially launched January 26 on New York City’s Upper East Side with ``Animate Forces,’’ a solo exhibition of paintings, many shown for the first time, by the Ukrainian-born artist Mikhail Turovsky.

The 44 paintings date from 1991 to 2015, and comprise Mr. Turovsky’s body of works that follow the decade he spent in the 1980s creating his critically-acclaimed Holocaust series which the New York Times said "hammers at a viewer's sensibilities,’’ and "convey Mikhail Turovsky's hellish vision.’’

This new exhibition represents Mr. Turovsky’s radical artistic shift towards larger, brighter, and more positive works. Luscious fruit, sensuous nudes and hypnotic landscapes embrace vibrant life-affirming colors. The luxuriously textured surfaces excite the senses and invite the viewer to engage in an intensely emotional experience.

After a series of exhibitions in 2004-2005 organized by the French art dealer Serge Lenczner, a French art critic aptly dubbed Mr. Turovsky’s style “figurative abstraction.’’ His images are devoid of details yet full of movement, both of the brush and of the figure.

"I want to convey the reality of the world around me – the forces of nature, the elements,’’ said Mr. Turovsky. "These are not inanimate forces for me, and I approach them in the same way that I approach the human body. I want to deify the natural world.”

"My goal is to live as an artist – to experience as many life vicissitudes as possible, and to metaphorically express them as symbols of visual art that otherwise cannot be fully expressed with words, which is what distinguishes visual art from literature,’’ added Mr. Turovsky. "Art seems to be an easily intelligible language, but at the same time it is a most inscrutable language.​’’

Shapiro Projects was created in late 2016 by Shapiro Auctions in order to create a space dedicated to gallery exhibitions. It will showcase works by contemporary artists, as well as thematic exhibitions, which are intended for direct sale to the public.

"We provide a museum-quality exhibition space for those who want the benefits of exhibiting in New York City but who can’t find an appropriate venue,’’ said Gene Shapiro, president of Shapiro Auctions. "I’ve come across many artists who deserve commercial solo exhibitions, but lack representation. Shapiro Projects will fill this void.’’

Although he has not lived in Ukraine for almost 40 years, Mr. Turovsky can be considered one of that country’s leading post-War artists. In 1949, at the age of 16, he received the grand prize at the All-Ukrainian exhibition. In 2008, the Ukrainian government awarded him the nation’s highest honor, "People’s Artist of Ukraine.’’

In 1987 the New York Times remarked that Mr. Turovsky "sacrificed profession and prestige when he left the Soviet Union…’’ His paintings had been shown in 50 exhibitions in the USSR and in 30 other countries. He had illustrated over 300 books and was an official painter for Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader.

Upon his emigration from the Soviet Union in 1979 and subsequent resettlement in New York City, Mr. Turovsky dedicated his creative life to depicting the agony and emotions of the Holocaust, something he was forbidden to do in the Soviet Union.

Mr. Turovsky’s tumultuous childhood coincided with World War II and the Nazi invasion of the USSR in summer 1941. Needless to say, this tragedy had a deep impact on his life. He escaped Kiev with his mother in a small boat a few days before the Nazis invaded. Most of his extended family perished in the Babi Yar massacre.

Mr. Turovsky’s paintings are in major museum collections including the Tretyakov State Gallery in Moscow, National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kiev, the Tel Aviv Art Museum in Israel, and many others.