"Steps". Exhibition of works by Mikhail Kudrevaty

On August 11, 2016 at 17.00 in the halls of the Russian Academy of Arts (Prechistenka 21) an exhibition of works by the famous St. Petersburg painter, draftsman, monumental artist Mikhail Kudrevaty “Steps” opens. About 50 works of different years will present the work of this interesting master.

Mikhail Georgievich Kudrevaty was born in 1957 in Leningrad. In 1981 he graduated with honors from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I. E. Repin, where he studied in the studio of a national artist, professor, academician A. A. Mylnikov. After graduation, he trained in the Creative Studio under the guidance of A.A. Mylnikova. Since 1983, Mikhail Kudrevaty has been teaching at the Institute. I. E. Repin at the department of drawing. He is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, the Union of Artists of South Korea, an honorary professor at the Nanjing Art Institute (PRC). The master’s works are in museums in Russia and in private collections in Finland, France, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, China, South Korea and Taiwan.

A monumentalist by training, who prefers deep philosophical themes and vivid, expressive forms of their embodiment, Mikhail Kudrevaty is the author of large-scale temple paintings, historical and genre compositions, portraits, landscapes, still lifes. His work is distinguished by a large thematic variety. The history of Russia from ancient times to the present day, Russia of the 20th century with the tragedy of events and destinies, a person in the modern world, the fate of an artist-creator, the history of Russian culture… This series is truly inexhaustible.

Petersburg is one of the main topics of M. Kudrevaty, a native of Leningrad, a Petersburger. Researchers note that in his works the northern capital appears "to have concentrated the powerful intellectual, spiritual, emotional energy of many generations." His native city was captured in chamber motifs, genre compositions, expressive panoramic landscapes. The exhibition presents the key works of the series “Keepers of the City”, one of the artist’s early works “Autumn Motive”, as well as the triptych “Leningrad Tram” dedicated to the Leningrad blockade.

The author’s feeling of the unity of history, historical and human destinies is embodied in the character of the figurative space of his works, his picturesque interpretation, compositional techniques that create rich associations. The artist is deeply concerned about the fate of generations that survived the cataclysms of Russian history of the early 20th century. Images of members of the royal family, cultural figures of the “Silver Age”, representatives of the Russian emigration were created by him in works filled with compassion and pain. The triptych “Count’s Quay”, “Russian Seasons”, “Isadora’s Dance” are the main works of this series. Researchers connect the artist’s perception of the world with the fate of his family, which went through all the vicissitudes of Russian history of the 20th century: with the fate of his grandfather M.M. Kudrevaty — a naval officer, participant in the Russo-Japanese War, an engineer-shipbuilder who fell into the maelstrom of revolutionary events, a front-line soldier, an engineer, a talented, brilliantly educated, artistically gifted person, blockade of grandmother and mother.

The theme of memory, deep historical ties is also heard in the works devoted to modern Russian life - “Novgorod family”, “Sergeich”, “Novgorod high-rises”, “Baptism”. Evidence of constant author’s thoughts on the development of culture, the fate of great masters, the fate of the artist in the world - such works by the master as the triptych “Leonardo”, “Michelangelo”, the canvas “El Greco”, related to the most important direction of the master’s work.

The exposition will be supplemented by a number of Russian landscapes, works performed on foreign trips. Raising many important problems, referring to the essential strata of Russian and world history, the exhibition will be a serious occasion for reflection.

The exhibition runs through August 28th.