oil on board, signed and dated '15
mounted, framed and under glass

Note: Born in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia, in 1966. Graduated as an Architect in 1989. Moved to Moscow, worked as an Architect until the beginning of Gorbachev's Perestroika, then worked as an interior designer. Moved to Glasgow, UK, in 1996. Worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland and as a manager at Austin Reed , Glasgow. Then, following the sell-out at my first Art show in aid of Age Concern Charity, decided to become full-time artist. Self-taught, although studied arts as part of degree as an Architect. Exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute and Aspect Prize Annual exhibitions. Represented by established galleries at the Art Fairs in London, Battersea, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Chelsea, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Ireland etc, and self-represented at the Oxford international Art fair February 2016 and the Aberdeen Art Fair, September 2016. I have works in private and corporate collections throughout the UK, Australia, USA, Greece, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Russia. There were a number of articles in local and national press concerning my work and images had appeared in the TV Channel 4's Grand Design. Works exhibited in established galleries throughout the UK. My style-quirky witty figurative, somewhat humorous, somewhat realistic but always colourful. Growing up under the authoritarian Soviet regime, when ordinary Russians had to wear that drab look of obedience and self-suppression, I had always wanted to escape from that total uniformity and find the way to express my vision of events reflecting happier, lighter take on everyday life. We busy ourselves with tedious tasks that like it or not, need to be done, and forget to simply be happy. I reflect everyday events in a slightly exaggerated way to take off the heaviness and seriousness, there is plenty of both in real life-and I believe in surrounding yourself with things that make you feel better. The important thing after all is to be happy and not to be important. My subjects are loosely based on own experiences and observations - and are therefore recognisable, which often provokes a laugh (much desired effect). My subjects (although at times seemingly emotionally isolated, even when they are clustered in groups) are not lacking emotions, they only express them in their own way. They do not take themselves too seriously, they just go about their business as if no-one is looking. Their self-sufficiency is their freedom... Sometimes my characters might look quite realistic and recognisable, but their grotesque figures make them look ironic-we see one thing but they tell us another. Like many things in life-things are not always the way they seem. In other words, I try to reflect life as we see it but don't always notice. To finish, I'll quote: "Artist must think when he feels and feel when he thinks". At first, these two statements are mutually exclusive. If an artwork is created without this in mind, the end result will inevitably lack the energy and that "something" that makes us want to look at a work of art. How to combine the two? This is something that cannot be taught but is inborn. Russians are guided by their emotions, not by common sense, and this has an effect on all my work (whether I am paying myself a compliment here, I am not sure...). I'm interested in people and interactions between them, what makes us tick, what makes us human. Recent exhibitions include: Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Art, RGI Kelly Gallery; Paisley Art Institute and Aspect Prize; Home and Interiors Exhibitions, SECC Glasgow; Affordable Art Fairs London, Battersea, Glasgow (GAF), Chelsea, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Oxford; First Contemporary Art Fairs Edinburgh; Karen Tailor Contemporary Fine Art, Twickenham, London; Colomb Art Gallery, Marylebone, London; Enid Lawson Gallery, London; Off The Wall Gallery, Cardiff; Stirling Fine Art Gallery, Stirling; Tony Haig Gallery, Kelso; Hullabaloo Restaurant, Dumfries, solo; Regent Gallery, Somerset; Rowan Gallery, Drymen, Loch Lomond and Helensburgh; Christo's Gallery, Glasgow; Arteries Gallery, Glasgow; ArtForum Gallery, Milngavie, Glasgow; The Annan Gallery, Glasgow; McGregor Fine Art, Glasgow; Scotlandart.com, Edinburgh and Glasgow; The Sun Gallery, Newburgh, Fife; Hanover Fine Art, Edinburgh; Westminster Gallery, London; Laurel Gallery, Edinburgh; Gallery Luti, Callander; Tolquhon Gallery, Aberdeenshire; The Jerdan Gallery, Crail; Alpha Art, Edinburgh; Daisy Frame Gallery, Biggar; Dancing Light Gallery, West Linton; Fotheringham Gallery, Bridge of Allan; Devorgilla Gallery, Dumfries; The Storm Studies Gallery, Moffat; High Street Gallery, Kirkcudbright; Frameworks Gallery, Troon; Macmillan Cancer Relief Charity Exhibition, Glasgow and Edinburgh; Hancel Foundation Art Auctions; Retail Trust Charity Exhibition, Glasgow; Marie Curie Cancer Relief Charity Auction; The Preshal Trust Charity Auction; Children's First Charity Auction; University of Glasgow CHAS and Cancer research Charity Exhibition and Auction; Auction Sale in Aid of Yorkhill Childrens' Hospital; Castle Gallery, Inverness; Sable & Ox Gallery,York; Frames Gallery, Artesan Gallery, Perth, and Perth Festival; Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia; Tracey McNee Fine Art, Glasgow; The Queens Road Gallery, Aberdeen; e-gallery, Bearsden; Spring Art Fair, Sweden.