Evgeni Alexeev is a Ukrainian-born artist who has been drawing since early childhood. Heavily inspired by the art of classic Russian painters, Evgeni enrolled in the Teachers University and studied athletic human anatomy and physiology which subsequently aided him in his understanding of the human body--which helped him better his artistic skills.
After graduating in 1995, Evgeni moved to Israel and lived there for two years before he relocated to Canada in 1998.
In 2001, he attended the International Academy of Design and Technology to become a computer graphic designer and also began to draw at a private school and slowly began to exhibit his art at galleries.
In 2014, Evgeni’s artwork was shown at S.E.H Mac Donald House Group exhibition, followed by YAZI Gallery Group Exhibition in 2015. In April of 2017, he exhibited work at New York’s ArtExpo which helped him break into the American art market.
Evgeni recently took the time to talk about his art, its meaning, and his aspirations for his artistic future.
Artwork
Blasting News (BN): What inspired you to become an artist and how did you perfect your style?
Evgeni Alexeev (EA): When I was 11 years old my parents took me to St. Petersburg, Russia where I was amazed and impressed by old masters paintings. From that point on, I wanted to paint like this. In order to perfect the style that I wanted to achieve, I read a lot about painters and their techniques, methods and ideas which helped me create my artwork. My biggest inspiration was Salvador Dali.
BN: Where have you shown your artwork and are you represented by a gallery?
EA: My paintings have been presented YAZI gallery and Group Exhibition in Mac Donald house.
BN: You attended ArtExpo this year. How did that opportunity present itself and what was that experience like?
EA: This was my first experience at ArtExpo.
I submitted an application for the ArtExpo in New York and after it was revised, I was presented with the amazing opportunity to present my art pieces at the gallery. I plan to participate in the ArtExpo again in 2018. This year at the exhibition was successful as I sold two paintings, but I will be more experienced next year. Since there are no elevators in art, I must take it step by step to achieve the end goal.
Symbolism
BN: All your pieces have a story behind them. Do you think of the story before or after you complete the art?
EA: I prefer to paint artwork with meaning, this way the painting and the story are created simultaneously.
BN: Can you give some examples of the stories in your work?
EA: Of course, I’ll use the ones I’ve provided you for the slideshow as examples.
Painting #1: “Creator”:
In this painting, the man and the woman are created by somebody that is not within vision. The man was presented as a human hand which symbolizes that originally the man was in charge of the physical work such as hunting, fishing, building and family protection. The woman was created as puzzle pieces that were poured out of a box.
Painting #2: “Forbidden Fruit”:
This painting is connected to the previous painting, “Creator”, as a sequel. Presented is a bitten apple which is being held (probably by a man). A female in a form of a snake appears from the puzzle. The snake is not a negative image, it is a symbol of wisdom and courage.
Painting #3: “Unknown”:
In the painting, there is an outline of a human bring in the shape of a cathedral ceiling; this represents my personality from within. I believe that every person has their own cathedral ceiling, some prefer country style others like a roof made out of hay, this symbolizes the personality of the person on the inside. The Unknown is looking through a keyhole into the other world that he is unable to get into. The only one able to sneak into the keyhole is a reptile that is illustrated in the shape of an eyebrow, also known as the oldest animal on the planet.
BN: What is most rewarding about being an artist and what are your future goals as an artist?
EA: Every person has a goal in life that they strive to achieve.
My goal is to see my art pieces become recognized and become a memorable painter.
BN: Do you have exciting new projects or events forthcoming?
EA: After my Interview with TV New York, Alexander Gurman (Mr. Great) offered me a chance to participate in an exhibition in August. I also plan on displaying my artwork in ArtExpo New York in 2018.