Statement

My background is rooted in architecture, restoration of architectural heritage, and narrative-driven interior design. These disciplines inform my understanding of space as something shaped not only by structure, but by human presence, memory, and use.

My experience in interior design has been particularly formative, as I approach the notion of the “interior” not only as a physical space, but as something closely tied to internal processes - our attitudes, sensibilities, and the ways in which we shape and respond to our environment. This perspective continues to influence how I observe and interpret spaces, as well as how I understand the relationship between identity and place.

I have built my practice around working on location, using plein air painting as a way of observing and engaging directly with the environments and communities I depict. Rooted in the rigorous tradition of Russian academic training, the craft of painting has always been central to my work. Over time, however, the emphasis has shifted - from technical execution towards the narratives embedded within the scenes I observe.

My current artistic research explores how identity and meaning are constructed within a place through both presence and absence. Working directly from observation, I focus on both the visible and the implied - scenes of everyday life, as well as fragments, objects, and interiors that suggest human presence indirectly.

This includes direct portraits of individuals and groups, alongside what I refer to as “indirect portraits” - accidental still lifes formed by the objects people leave behind. These traces often reveal quieter, less mediated aspects of identity.

I develop many of these observations further in the studio, where the work moves between direct observation and interpretation, and where presence is often inferred rather than shown. My visual language is shaped by the technical discipline of Russian academic training, as well as years spent living and working in Southeast Asia, which influenced my approach to composition, colour, light, and atmosphere. An ongoing interest in structure and spatial relationships continues to inform my work.

My recent work reflects a growing focus on reduction and clarity, both in visual language and process. By limiting palette, materials, and detail, I aim to distil observed reality into its essential elements.

I am increasingly incorporating printmaking and drawing as expanded approaches to image-making. These processes introduce a slower, more analytical dimension, requiring translation of observed scenes into line, tone, and structure. Drawing on techniques related to my architectural training - such as black and white graphic work, ink, and stencilling - I rework and simplify images to concentrate their meaning.

Moving between immediacy and reflection, my practice continues to evolve towards a more distilled and focused way of seeing, where presence can be conveyed through minimal means.