Ichthyologist Painting

Victor Molev is a Canadian artist of Russian descent, working in the styles of Decorative Realism, Fantasy, Symbolism and Surrealism. Molev was born in the year 1955 in Gorky (present day Nizhny Novgorod), Russia. From an early age, he has shown interest in the visual arts and dedicated his time to creativity. As the artist himself jokes, his love for art derived from the fact that his grandmother was kissed by Marc Chagall in her childhood. She was his younger sister’s classmate, and often visited the Chagall household. In paintings from his childhood and early youth, Molev showed an inclination towards unconventional compositions that were free of the Soviet canons of “Socialist Realism”. In the mid-1970s, as an aspiring young artist, he took drawing and painting lessons under the apprenticeship of Moscow sculptor Tatyana Vishnyakova. It wasn’t until his early twenties that Molev became familiar with the works of Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, M.C. Escher and Frank Frazetta through books and magazines. Molev was incredibly inspired by these artists which became like mentors to him. After receiving an education in architecture, the artist worked in the field for ten years. He then worked as a set designer at the Pushkin Opera and Ballet Theatre. Both of these jobs are still reflected in the creative processes of the artist. Throughout the 1980’s, Molev was a part of many group and individual exhibitions in Houses of Culture, movie theatre foyers, research institutes, and the exhibition halls of the Association of Russian Artists. He also exhibited alongside the Gorky Union of Young Artists, of which he had been a part of since its formation. During the final years of the Soviet Union, Molev worked as a graphic illustrator for the magazine “Samizdat”. In December of 1990, Molev immigrated to Israel. The next year he became a member of the Israel Painters and Sculptors Association. He would regularly exhibit his work in galleries, exhibition halls, and community centres. The artist was constantly a part of the Nachalat Binyamin Market in Tel Aviv, as well as many other art festivals. In collaboration with the writer G.Kostovetski under the pseudonym “KOMO”, he participated in numerous international competitions of humorous drawing, which is marked by his diplomas as well as silver and bronze medals. From 2003 until 2006, the artist owned his own gallery in the city of Haifa. In 2006, he immigrated to Canada with his family, where he established a studio in his home. He produced many paintings and garnered international attention and sales through his online popularity. In 2014, Molev was invited to exhibit his work at the Art Museum of Saint-Frajou, France. Molev continues to work from his home-gallery in Richmond Hill and actively exhibits his work in Canada and the United States. He has created his own unique and intuitive world of dreams and absurdity. His works are sincerely naïve and kind. His multifaceted talent and the meaningfulness of his work brings viewers back to his paintings again and again. Each character has their own unique attitude. Each painting is logically and psychologically constructed. His creativeness did not emerge spontaneously, but as a result of years practice and knowledge of his medium. Molev’s paintings are instantly recognizable. A chunk of his work can be classified as surrealism, but with a sense of natural kindness. However he personally believes his creative expression of the will is not amenable to unification or categorization. His artistic vision tends to grotesquely exaggerate all that is seen by him, and so he is drawn away from strict realism. He rather strives to reveal to the viewer the hidden essence of a person, object, or phenomenon. Molev creates his characters with humour and lighthearted mockery, able to laugh with others as well as at himself. His artworks stand out due to their vibrant colours, decorative detailing, plasticity, exaggeration and deep symbolism. Unique and surprising characters come to life in front of fantastic and architecturally complex backgrounds. His surreal creatures are full of life and fill the paintings with light heartedness. Molev pays careful attention to household items, clothing details, and accessories. This is evident through his thorough graphic techniques and attention to colour. Molev has created his own recognizable visual language that gives his works unique individualism. His notable portraits at once exhibit literal metaphors and hidden meanings that trick the eye. The representation of celebrities’ faces are hidden in paintings of mundane and fantastical elements. Through these paintings it is possible to suddenly recognize the face of Chekov within a landscape framed by bare trees, and see Einstein’s features amidst scattered chess pieces. Molev’s present work shows his consistent visual explorations and discovery of new methods. He is well suited in the endless spectrum of contemporary art. His niche and unique contribution to the field of art grant him an audience that is never left indifferent.