About

I am a professional stage designer, graduated (MA in Theatric Arts) from the well-known V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko School/Studio of Drama at the A. P. Tchekhov Moscow Academic Arts Theatre (MHAT). I have creative skills as wells as extensive knowledge regarding historical styles, costumes, techniques as well as the ability to use historic material in my works. These include experience as a costume designer for movies (Don't worry, Mom; Little Princess among others), theatre (for the State Friend's Theatre, Moscow State Na Pokrovke Theatre, and the Wing and Grove Theatre in Chicago) and TV productions ( Vendetta at M. Gorky studio and Swedish Television AB). Illustrations have been rendered for both well-known Russian (www.sovsekretno.ru) and Estonian (www.koolibri.ee) publishing houses, as well as for freelance authors internationally. In addition to drawings and paintings, I have completed murals in many private residences within Illinois in the United States. My work has also been shown at a few personal exhibition and public art shows in Chicagoland.

My goal as an artist is to express a dynamic view of beauty and harmony. Art, as I see it, is largely centered around mankind, yet always in the context of being in dialogue with nature and its most resonating manifestations, such as movement, or the simultaneously every-day and transcendent beauty of a flower blossom.

During all of my artistic and personal life I have been interested in the nuances of character and human interaction with others and nature. My intention is to stir up an array of emotions within the observer, ranging from peace to discomfort, sadness to happiness. To this end, play with shadow and light is employed to convey the movement central to expressing the wordless aspects of the story. My work is my projection onto paper or canvas of some symbolic, mythological and ornamental expression of something to common to every human being. It is my personal translation of something universal from histories of civilizations into personal stories. Particular attention is given to knowledge of historical styles, costumes, architecture, as well as various techniques and technologies. Effort applied to accurate reconstruction of details, proportions and correlations helps me to ‘discover’ and properly portray characters in their respective setting, in terms of place and/or time. All these components give the visual elements strong emotional presence by means of attention to accuracy and detail. Forms taken from reality into fantasy allow for a more grounded aesthetique, and therefore more deeply experienced atmosphere.