Vladimir Ovchinnikov

Born 1941.

Vladimir Ovchinnikov’s schooling consisted of a hands-on approach: he worked at the Leningrad Kirov Opera as an assistant to the artist Kirill Kustodiev, then in the State Hermitage Museum, and finally on church restorations. Since the mid 60’s, Ovchinnikov actively participated in the “apartment exhibitions” of the underground art scene in the USSR and abroad. In his art, Ovchinnikov frequently turns to ancient myths and scriptural topics, provoking viewers to interpret his works as mythological messages. Simultaneously, he substitutes the characters of the chosen parable with his own personages – excessively carnival and narcissist in character. The personage does not correspond to any kind of advisability – neither mythological, nor realistic. The subject personage remains alien and destructive, disregarding the context in which the artist places him. His paintings give us a fine example of the artistic interpretation of absurdity. Currently, Ovchinnikov is an internationally recognized artist living in St. Petersburg extensively participating in domestic and international exhibits. His last Sotheby’s record was one of the most impressive among contemporary art sales.