Andrei Kolkoutine facts for kids
Andrei Kolkoutine (born in 1957) is a Russian artist. He was born in Smolyaninovo, a place in Primorsky Krai. In 1982, he finished his studies at the Repin Academy of Arts in Leningrad. This art school was named after the famous artist Ilya Repin. Today, Kolkoutine lives in Nalchik, a town in southern Russia.
He is part of an art group called "FOSTER BROTHERS." Two other well-known artists, Andrey Efi and Eugeny Lindin, are also in this group. Kolkoutine mostly paints with oil on canvas. He has also created some sculptures and graphic works. His art has been shown in many countries. These include Denmark, Germany, France, and other European nations. His work has also been exhibited in the United States.
Kolkoutine's Unique Art Style
By the late 1980s, Kolkoutine developed his special art style. He mixes different art traditions in his paintings. These include styles from old Russian icons and suprematism. Suprematism was an art movement started by Kazimir Malevich. Kolkoutine also uses elements of cubism and naïve art.
He wanted to create the unique colors seen in old Russian icons. To do this, he found a special method. He first puts a layer of neutral grey paint on the canvas. Then, he paints the colors on top of this grey layer. This helps him get the right tones.
In his art, you can see Suprematist shapes mixed with figures of people. Sometimes, you might spot distorted buildings or playing cards at the bottom of his paintings. He also includes Cyrillic letters, which are used in the Russian alphabet. The frames around his main pictures are often tilted and come in different colors.
What Kolkoutine's Paintings Are About
Kolkoutine's paintings often show two main types of subjects. One type is stylized biblical characters. The other type is simple working people from the Russian countryside. Kolkoutine believes that these two groups are similar in many ways.
His biblical paintings also show his background. They are clearly influenced by the Orthodox Christian faith. Art expert Jekatarina Seleznjova thinks that Kolkoutine's paintings ask a big question: "Why are we here?" This means that even though his art uses specific Russian themes, it tries to connect with feelings that all humans share. People say that Kolkoutine's paintings are both simple to look at and deep in meaning.
See also
In Spanish: Andréi Kolkutin para niños
