A stroll in spring Print

Ever since I was a child in my hometown of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, I was active in the arts community. Taking part in various cultural societies and clubs, and learning to play piano at a local conservatory, played an important role in my development as an artist. Aside from my classical music training, I was also exposed to various dancing styles, ranging from hip-hop and rock-n-roll to ballroom until my graduation from university. And, naturally, I was no stranger to painting classes at a local fine arts school. In high school, all the margins n my textbooks were covered with sketches. And yet, in a surprising twist of fate, I became a civil engineer. A master’s degree in quality management in Germany followed. Eventually, I even received my PhD. But my love of painting resurfaced at some point between my master`s degree and postgraduate studies. It took a detour or two but, in time, I found my true calling in art. It happened one random day when, out of the blue, I was drawn into an arts shop to buy a canvas stretcher and oil colours. Once again, I found myself immersed in painting. I painted and painted but kept my paintings to myself and my family. I was, basically, a closeted artist. Back in Saint Petersburg, my renewed artistic journey took me in the direction of photo art. I found it so inspirational, I ended up signing up for photography courses at a local institute. The hold that painting had over me was becoming increasingly intense: I felt that the time had come to share my work with other people. My instructor agreed, and encouraged me to exhibit my paintings for the public. My first exhibition was in Cottbus, in 2015. This was an important event in my life because I was able to see the spectators’ reaction to my abstractions, hear how they perceived them, and understand the feelings they stirred. Since then, I have become a more confident painter, exhibitor and contest participant. Painting is my passion and my soul speaks through my work. When I paint, I have no intended result in mind. In my paintings, the multifaceted quality of my technical education and creative nature are able to harmonize. As a counter to daily routine, where everything is preplanned and organized to the last detail, the canvas allows me to express my emotions spontaneously and fully let go.