Tell a little bit about how you first got into creating art.
I was born in St. Peterburg, Russia into a family of artists. My father was a book illustrator and my mom a theater and movie set and costume designer. My stepfather was a figurative artist and my grandfather a prolific portraitist.
So, needless to say, I was born into art and creativity that inspired me for my whole life. After I turned eleven years old, I was admitted to Middle Art School, Pre-Academy division adjacent to the Repin’s Academy of Fine Arts in St.Petersburg, following my family’s legacy. I chose book illustration as my major.
I moved to New York 39 years ago, published children’s books and now I am living in Paris and working on collections of figurative art paintings.
Emotion is the one theme I hope to express and invoke in people, while they are looking at my art
What artists or movements have had an impact on you?
I was always partial to Neo Romanticism and Surrealism. My Favorite Artists being Dali and Magritte, Vrubel and Boch, Vermeer and incredible Hans Holbein!
What themes does your work involve?
Mostly trying work on a concept itself. Using the object in the painting to speak for itself and tell the story. Or inspire a story in people’s minds. One theme I have worked on was a series of portraits of women from different époque’s. Using their attire to tell the story. Or a series called Forbitten Fruit, which is more of a surrealistic approach to the subject, using different materials to illustrate the theme of each painting.
What is important to you about the visual experiences you create?
Emotion is the one theme I hope to express and invoke in people, while they are looking at my art. Hoping for a person to linger and interact with the image for a moment. Provoke an emotional response. Perhaps it is my background as an illustrator speaking.
I always believed that Art should inspire and enrich people
What is the significance of medium and color?
I mostly work with acrylics. My impatience to work on details immediately would not work with slow drying oil paints. I also prefer to paint on wood, creating not only a painting, but an installation of sorts. In good tradition of the Art of Netherlands. The color really depends on the subject of my work, sometimes it is subdued sometimes I hope for extreme brightness. For instance, when I worked on “Shame”, it was essential to create a contrast between the appearance – bright attire – and the heart break of the emotion of shame, making the emotion of it more pronounced.
Do you work from memory, life, photographs, or from other resources? Describe your creative process.
I always research the subject I am about to paint. Pull together a lot of reference material. Photographs and details of costumes or flowers, water drops, hands. I take pictures of the gestures and poses with life models. Sometimes I see something while walking, and it inspires a painting, and I take many pictures of whatever it is, so I do not forget the idea it gave me.
What is your favorite art accident? Did it change your perspective?
I do not remember having one! But sometimes I get frustrated and just try to ruin my own art with some brushstrokes. At times it did make it look better! Different and unexpected.
Do you have any artistic goals for the future that you would like to share?
I would like to create a series of big format paintings very soon. Realism/ Surrealism in the same series.
What do you consider the role of an artist today?
I always believed that Art should inspire and enrich people. Bring one’s imagination into gear. Make one stop in front of one painting to want to see more, speak to people’s hopes and sense of balance.
