Welcome to my online gallery of quirky figurative paintings in oils. 

 Glasgow Art Fair (represented by Annan Gallery)-23-26 of April 2009
"The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction - Summer 2009"
at McTear's Auction August 2009 dates TBC www.mctears.co.uk
 Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Rd, Glasgow, G 51 4 EU. Tel. 0141 810 2880.
There will be 6 of my latest paintings there amongst many other exhibiting artists. 

 I am a Russian-born artist based in Scotland.  I have been drawing people and the interactions between them for as long as I can remember.  It is that very special Russian chaos, eccentricities and peculiarities of life around us, no matter where you live, that inspire me to paint. My subjects are always taken from everyday events, and people often recognise themselves or someone they know in my characters. I am happy if my paintings can make you smile. Some of my works might imply something very absurd and not entirely cheerful in their very idea, but I try to present the subject so it is slightly exaggerated and sentimental, and always filled with emotions. 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..). 
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. But there  are no other hidden messages or ideology in my work. . Just aesthetically grotesque characters going about their everyday business. In other words, life as we see it but don't always notice. 
I want to provoke a comment, a reaction, an emotion. I am not interested in creating just "something" in the frame. I want to make you smile.
 
Born in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia, in 1966. Graduated from an Architectural Institute in 1989 and moved to Moscow, where worked as an architect until the beginning of Perestroika, then worked as an interior designer. Moved to Glasgow, UK, in 1996.  Exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute and Aspect Prize Annual exhibitions. Was represented by established Scottish and British galleries at the Art Fairs in London, Battersea, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Chelsea, Birmingham, etc; and have works in private and corporate collections throughout the UK, Australia, USA, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Russia. There were a number of articles in local and national press (The Herald, Evening Times, Uptown, Home &Interiors Scotland, Home Style, Home Plus, N01, Grand Designs, etc) concerning my work and images had appeared in the TV Channel 4's Grand Design. 
 
Selected galleries and exhibitions:
Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Art
RGI Kelly Gallery
Paisley Art Institute and Aspect Prize
Home and Interiors Exhibition, Glasgow
Affordable Art Fairs London, Battersea, Glasgow, Chelsea, Birmingham, and Ireland First Contemporary Art Fair Edinburgh
Macmillans Cancer Relief Charity Exhibition and Auction, Glasgow and Edinburgh
Retail Trust Charity Exhibition, Glasgow
Marie Curie Cancer Relief Charity Auction
The Order Of St.John
The Preshal Trust Charity Auction
Children's First Charity Exhibition
Maclaurin Galleries Save The Children Charity Exhibition
University Of Glasgow Cancer Research and CHAS Charity Exhibition & Auction
Karen Tailor Contemporary Fine Art, Twickenham, London
Colombart Gallery, Marylebone, London
Enid Lawson Gallery, London
Regent Gallery, Weston-super-Mare,Somerset
Christo's Gallery, Glasgow
The Annan Gallery, Glasgow (Joint show with Francis Boag,  April 2008 )
Arteries Gallery, Glasgow
Scotlandart.com, Edinburgh and Glasgow
Tartan Gallery, Edinburgh
Hanover Fine Art, Edinburgh
Rowan Gallery, Drymen, Loch Lomond and Helensborough(Solo Show -June 2008 )
Tolquhon gallery, Aberdeenshire
Westminster Gallery, London
The Jerdan Gallery, Crail
Castle Gallery, Inverness
Frames Gallery, Artesan Gallery, Perth, and Perth Festival
Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia
Tracey McNee Fine Art, Glasgow
The Queens Road Gallery, Aberdeen
Art Fair, Sweden
North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition
The Gallery, Troon
Auction Sale in aid of Yorkhill Childrens Hospital www.uglyduckexhibits.com- Feb 2009
"The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction - Spring 2009" at McTears Auction - March 2009