Alexander Korolyov

Alexander Korolev was born in 1962 in the village Kazarkino, located in the Kurgan region. In 1981, at the age of nineteen, he graduated from the Savitsky Penza Art College with a degree in sculpture. In 1987 Korolev moved to St. Petersburg to study glass and ceramics at the Mukhin (a renowned Russian artist) Industrial Art Institute. While he was a student at Penza Art College, Korolev met Ivan Sakhnenko who was also in the sculpture department. Interestingly enough, both artists later became painters and often exhibit together today.
 
The diligent training that Korolev received during his sculpture studies was essential to his work and allowed Korolev to industriously draw in one motion. He had the ability to enter a composition as one would a work sheet.
 
Korolev's creative method constantly refers to the ideas of nonviolence and creative spontaneity. The artist says that the picture happens by itself without contrived interventions that would only dilute it. As a result, the figures in Korolev's work are always engaged in one strong, vigorous motion. In concise and sharp lines, they can fill up the whole picture, whilst also serving as a basis for more complex compositions. When Korolev's spontaneity reaches its climax, it becomes an abstract painting yet in the abstractions, the artists purpose and desire still lives.

 

"As a painter, one should not interfere with the picture, rather one should feel it and read what the composition dictates, as opposed to imposing his or her own plan.

This is my personal understanding of the progression of art that I have developed over the period of my growth as an artist. One should not crush and physically and brutally exploit the materials used. I enjoy working with the materials and coming up with a mutual cooperation and understanding. This is what underlines the laws of composition when it comes to art. As an artist, I try to give the materials I use a certain life and judgment of their own. Afterwards I retreat into a state of contemplation over what has occurred and let the painting complete itself.
Artists quite commonly aggressively defend their choice of career, by stating something along the lines of "I studied here...." Usually they demonstrate their knowledge through their technique and training. Hence, something along the lines of, God created me and I created this, as I am further fulfilling his purpose. It seems that when you feel entangled with numerous rules and regulations, you need to fight against them and just follow your inner voice instead. "
Korolev Aleksandr
Artist Alexander Korolyov

Memberships

  • 1993 – "Free Culture" (Art Center "Pushkinskaya-10);
  • 1996 – Creative Union of Artists of Russia;
  • 1998 – Organiser of art group with Yu Sychev "Navigation" (Yu Sychev, AA Korolev, J. Grace, B. Agabalaev, A. Slepysheva).

 

Selected Solo exhibitions

  • 2008 – "How I Spent My Summer" Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 2008 – "Paper and Model", the Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 2002 – "Retrospective" Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 1997 – "The second part " Literary-Memorial Museum of FM Dostoevsky, St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • 1994 – "Cafe Lutz," Berlin, Germany.

 

Selected group exhibitions

  • 2006 – "Infinite Body" Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 2004 – "The Russian view of Italy" Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 2003 – "Sonia Marmeladova Petersburg", Moscow, St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • 2001 – "Every soldier on the woman," "Polygon", St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • 2002 – State Museum of Urban Sculpture, St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • 2000 – "Habitat", the Exhibition Hall of the Creative Union of Artists, Moscow, Russia;
  • 1996 – Museum of Decorative Art, Moscow, Russia;
  • 1992 – Gallery "Hugo", Paris, France;
  • 1991 – "Art Myth" Central Exhibition Hall "Manege", Moscow, Russia;
  • 1988 – Painting Exhibition by individuals and organizations, Theatre of unsolved problems, St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

Museums and private collections

  • The Museum of Nonconformist Art, St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • Museum of Contemporary Art "Erarta", St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • The bank "Red Gate", Moscow, Russia;
  • State Museum of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia;
  • Kaminer family in the meeting (Berlin), as well as in private collections in Russia, Germany, France and other countries.