Xenia Prokhorova
Xenia Prokhorova
Saint Petersburg , Leningradskaya oblast', Russia
About Xenia Prokhorova
My art is based on a single principle: artistic presentation of esthetic interests. These interests define the goals which I set to myself as an artist.
Creating the Portrait of a Human Being is at the center of my interests, it is the end goal of my artistic work. I like watching people, their facial expressions, their body language, movements and silhouettes. Revealing human character and individuality through uncovering those of their aspects that prompt adoration and admiration—this task never makes me bored, and it will always be the source of my inspiration. I have a feeling that a person’s inner character, the portrait of his soul is always expressed through his special, unique, yet very tangible and specific body mobility. At times, when I am absorbed in my work, I feel as if I were like clay, pliable, clinging to someone and surrounding his form without omitting even a single small bump or corner so that the person’s inward nature can be experienced through the physical sensation of his movements. I encounter such people everywhere, those, whom I cannot but draw or paint when I see them, noticing their facial expressions, their movements and silhouettes, their choice of clothing. My artistic inspiration, my creative impulse, at times bordering on suspense, might happen suddenly, at any moment, and then I would use any available materials in order to capture my mental image, my insight and empathic vision. Jogging in the park, for example, I may see a complete stranger sitting gracefully, with his legs crossed, at the shore of the Yusupov Pond and smoking. Then I may get agitated noticing his disproportionately long, ungainly legs that look just like those of marionettes. Or the splash of his simple white scarf against the background of his black garment: a bubble coat, which underscores his expressionist stooped back, and jeans hugging his overlong legs. Or even how his scarf is awkwardly tied in front of him, dangling as on a child. Capturing his wild gaze—he stares at me with one eye, the other hidden by his hood—I stop there and start drawing sketches of him with my fingers on my phone screen.
In painting I choose primacy of form over content. My heroes are blots, lines and colors; they play their own game, they unite themselves into their own narrative, yet reflect the person who is central to it. This painting is in front of me: a green blot climbs the blue zigzag against yellow background towards a long pink blot. Well, for me it is a knight storming the tower of a princess. Such insight that happens when I examine a painting is something that enriches the narrative itself. This is the poetry of blots and lines, the song of colors. Anyone may hear it if he or she were to look closer. Thus, my heroes help me create a person’s inner portrait, they highlight the main features of his character, whatever makes him be himself and unlike anyone else. They also provide to the spectator the narrative of a person’s life history. This is what makes up the metaphysical core of visual arts.
Whether I want it or not, all of my creative work is influenced by my desire for intimacy. For me, the void is lack of love. And color black is life. And life itself, including my craving for intimacy, is manifested in filling up the void of the white in canvasses. Eternal craving, beguiling and unreachable, is a dialectic of unity and struggle of opposites. The dialectic nature of existence is very important for me.
In my opinion, creative work is, first and foremost, about having trust in myself and being responsible for what I am involved in. It is the process of updating my brain in order to become utterly, exceedingly free. It is an opportunity of raising the level of my emotions so high as to be able to see the creative source of this world in the most commonplace manifestations.
Creating the Portrait of a Human Being is at the center of my interests, it is the end goal of my artistic work. I like watching people, their facial expressions, their body language, movements and silhouettes. Revealing human character and individuality through uncovering those of their aspects that prompt adoration and admiration—this task never makes me bored, and it will always be the source of my inspiration. I have a feeling that a person’s inner character, the portrait of his soul is always expressed through his special, unique, yet very tangible and specific body mobility. At times, when I am absorbed in my work, I feel as if I were like clay, pliable, clinging to someone and surrounding his form without omitting even a single small bump or corner so that the person’s inward nature can be experienced through the physical sensation of his movements. I encounter such people everywhere, those, whom I cannot but draw or paint when I see them, noticing their facial expressions, their movements and silhouettes, their choice of clothing. My artistic inspiration, my creative impulse, at times bordering on suspense, might happen suddenly, at any moment, and then I would use any available materials in order to capture my mental image, my insight and empathic vision. Jogging in the park, for example, I may see a complete stranger sitting gracefully, with his legs crossed, at the shore of the Yusupov Pond and smoking. Then I may get agitated noticing his disproportionately long, ungainly legs that look just like those of marionettes. Or the splash of his simple white scarf against the background of his black garment: a bubble coat, which underscores his expressionist stooped back, and jeans hugging his overlong legs. Or even how his scarf is awkwardly tied in front of him, dangling as on a child. Capturing his wild gaze—he stares at me with one eye, the other hidden by his hood—I stop there and start drawing sketches of him with my fingers on my phone screen.
In painting I choose primacy of form over content. My heroes are blots, lines and colors; they play their own game, they unite themselves into their own narrative, yet reflect the person who is central to it. This painting is in front of me: a green blot climbs the blue zigzag against yellow background towards a long pink blot. Well, for me it is a knight storming the tower of a princess. Such insight that happens when I examine a painting is something that enriches the narrative itself. This is the poetry of blots and lines, the song of colors. Anyone may hear it if he or she were to look closer. Thus, my heroes help me create a person’s inner portrait, they highlight the main features of his character, whatever makes him be himself and unlike anyone else. They also provide to the spectator the narrative of a person’s life history. This is what makes up the metaphysical core of visual arts.
Whether I want it or not, all of my creative work is influenced by my desire for intimacy. For me, the void is lack of love. And color black is life. And life itself, including my craving for intimacy, is manifested in filling up the void of the white in canvasses. Eternal craving, beguiling and unreachable, is a dialectic of unity and struggle of opposites. The dialectic nature of existence is very important for me.
In my opinion, creative work is, first and foremost, about having trust in myself and being responsible for what I am involved in. It is the process of updating my brain in order to become utterly, exceedingly free. It is an opportunity of raising the level of my emotions so high as to be able to see the creative source of this world in the most commonplace manifestations.
Education
Born in Nizhni Novgorod on January 18, 1984.
2016-2018 – Animationclub.ru Animation School, Classical and Short Animations Course
2014-2017 – Ilya Repin State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture in St. Petersburg, Deferred Matriculant with the workshop of I. V. Petrov
2016 – St. Petersburg Higher School of Film Directors and Script Writers, Script Writing Intensive Refresher Course
2010 – Moscow Academy of State and Municipal Management, TV Program Director Professional Retraining Course
2001-2006 – National Research University – Higher School of Economics, Legal Studies
1990-2001 – Nizhni Novgorod Youth Activity Center, Arts and Design Studio directed by S. I. Rodionov
2016-2018 – Animationclub.ru Animation School, Classical and Short Animations Course
2014-2017 – Ilya Repin State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture in St. Petersburg, Deferred Matriculant with the workshop of I. V. Petrov
2016 – St. Petersburg Higher School of Film Directors and Script Writers, Script Writing Intensive Refresher Course
2010 – Moscow Academy of State and Municipal Management, TV Program Director Professional Retraining Course
2001-2006 – National Research University – Higher School of Economics, Legal Studies
1990-2001 – Nizhni Novgorod Youth Activity Center, Arts and Design Studio directed by S. I. Rodionov
Exhibitions
Russian Art Awards, Danilovsky Event Hall (Moscow, 2018)
Russian Art Week, Danilovsky Event Hall (Moscow, 2018)
Exhibition of the works of art students from the S. I. Rodionov Studio commemorating its 35th anniversary, Nizhni Novgorod Fine Arts Museum (Nizhni Novgorod, 2014)
Russian Art Week, Danilovsky Event Hall (Moscow, 2018)
Exhibition of the works of art students from the S. I. Rodionov Studio commemorating its 35th anniversary, Nizhni Novgorod Fine Arts Museum (Nizhni Novgorod, 2014)
