Mikhailov Vyacheslav

A renowned St. Petersburg artist, a master of texture. Member of the Artists' Union since 1979. Member of the National Association of Artists of Italy "ITALART" since 1993. Honored Artist of Russia since 1999. Participant in more than 300 exhibitions, including 70 personal ones, in Russia and abroad.

The artist was born in 1945 in Stavropol, in the remote village of Arzgir, far from the railway. Three times Mikhailov failed to get into the art school of Rostov-on-Don. The school's written response "not to bother anymore due to complete lack of talent," of course, sounded offensive, which served as a kind of challenge to the young man. At 26, after serving in the army,

Mikhailov dared to apply to the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Repin. He dared successfully, graduating from the institute in the painting class in the workshop of Professor Yevsey Moiseenko. In 1979, Mikhailov completed his postgraduate studies, also in Moiseenko's workshop. The canons of academic education did not fully satisfy the artist.

In the late 1970s, graduates of the Academy of Arts Vyacheslav Mikhailov and Valery Lukka, together with artist Felix Volosentkov, announced themselves as a creative group seeking new means of expression. To create the necessary artistic effect, they began to use textured, layered paint applications. In this way, the artists distanced themselves from the well-known and revered painting tradition, striving to bring their works as close to life as possible, to transform them into something organic. At the same time, their creativity was not devoid of literary quality and references to eternal mythological images; but the primary role was given to the physicality of texture. All three innovators have been canonized by art critics and admirers who named the group "The Three Bogatyrs." Today, Vyacheslav Mikhailov is one of the most famous Petersburg artists. The author was fortunate enough to find his own expressive language, making his works recognizable.

In his paintings, form is interesting alongside semantics. Mikhailov works in series, thoughtfully contemplating one theme or another. The artist admits that memory and the feeling of being part of a world that has not only today but also the past are important to him. His heavy, chalk-primed canvases truly preserve the memory of the past, making people think and feel.