Muratov Damir

Damir Muratov is a famous Siberian artist, engaged in painting, graphic art, installations and art objects. He doesn’t believe in last century genre gradations and thinks that only “presentness” and “trueness” are important today.

Muratov creates original Siberian poetic mythology by using brutal methods of social realism and agitation posters (e.g. in his series “Cedar needles will cover everything”), but he never stops to extend his creative theme field. “Today he is often called Siberian pop artist and successor of social realism, — writes Andrey Kovalev, a Moscow art critic. — Among the representatives of soviet social realism he would probably chose demotic and rustic Leonid Sokov. And among the pop-artists, the idol would be Jasper Johns, to whom Muratov dedicated his painting-homage flag of the United States. However, Muratov’s soul mate is definitely Jimmy Durem, an American Indian in origin and a defender of the rights of Native Americans in the USA. Muratov is originally a Siberian Tatar, born in Tobolsk, but living and working in Omsk.

Muratov became widely known after his work “Che Burashka” as well as the following series of revolutionary images: Che Rnyshevsky, Che Paev, etc. In his work he turns a plush cartoon character into a military personage, dressed in “barbudos” style” with a beret and a Kalashnikov gun. The work “Che Burashka” became highly popular and widespread on t-shirt, cups, bags and Internet avatars.  Art for Muratov is the high voltage zone. One of his works in the stylistics of a road sign warns: “Art! Keep out!”.

Muratov’s poetics is built over paradoxes and oxymorons, cognitive dissonances and absolute intellectual liberty. His works are rather thoughts, than objects. They are not meant for esthetic admiration, but for discovering the real present.

The artist’s works are presented in the collections of various Siberian art museums, the State Centre of Contemporary Art, The Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and in private collections.

“White soldiers”, Damir Muratov’s first solo exhibition, took place at Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art in 2012. “All Siberians are sort of white soldiers, — explains Damir, — since we are constantly fighting with cold, crooking and cringing over the time”.

Various artist’s exhibitions were held in Omsk, Novosibirsk Barnaul, Tomsk, Ufa, Perm and Moscow.

Born in 1967 in Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast.

Finished Artistic School for Children. Lives in Omsk from 1984.

In 1998 graduated from Omsk State Pedagogical University, Faculty of Painting and Graphic.

Former student of L. P. Efimov and M. I. Slobodin.

Takes part in exhibitions from 1988.

 

Solo exhibitions

  • 2013 – "White soldiers". Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art. St Petersburg
  • 2006 – "Russian gallery". "Artgentum" gallery. Tallinn
  • 2004 – "VENI, VIDI, ...". Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts
  • 2002 – "Don't wake up". "Cuchum" gallery. Omsk.
  • 1995 – "Siberia – sea power". House of Actor. Omsk

 

Exhibitions

  • 2007 - "Art-Moscow". Central House of Artist "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2006 - "Art-Moscow". Central House of Artist "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2006 - "Biennale of Contemporary Art". Exhibition Hall on Ryleyev Street. St Petersburg
  • 2006 - "White nights". International biennale of graphics. Manege. St Petersburg
  • 2006 - «Achtung! Achtung! Partisanen!" Gallery "Old City". Novosibirsk
  • 2006 - "Knock yourself out!" Art Gallery "Square". Omsk
  • 2005 - "Art-Moscow". Central House of Artist "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2005 - "Art-Manege". "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2005 - "Fools in Space". Gallery "Old City". Novosibirsk
  • 2005 -"Post №1". Art Gallery "Square". Omsk
  • 2004 - "Art-Moscow". Central House of Artist "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2004 - "Art-Manege". "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2004 - "Fashion Zone". "Berlin House". "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2004 - "Art-Novosibirsk". Novosibirsk State Art Museum
  • 2004 - "Hand-made in Cichum". Gallery "Old City". Novosibirsk
  • 2004 - "Squirrels visiting Vova". "Cuchum" gallery. Omsk
  • 2003 - "Art-Moscow". Central House of Artist "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2003 - "Art-Manege". "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2003 - "Art-Constitution". The National Center for Contemporary Art. Moscow
  • 2003 - "APTS-2003". Exhibition and Convention Centre "Sokolniki". Moscow
  • 2003 - "Don't wake up". "Berlin House", "Artgentum" gallery. Moscow
  • 2003 - "100 artists from Siberia". Novokuznetsk Art Museum
  • 2003 - "From tabouret to throne". Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts
  • 2003 - "Sky-lux under Chinese fence". "Cuchum" gallery. Omsk
  • 2002 - "Siberian garden – territory of dreams". House of Artist. Omsk
  • 2001 - "Cheburashka's trophies". "Cuchum" gallery. Omsk
  • 2001 - "Tankdem". Gallery "Przewalski's horse". Omsk
  • 2001 - "Post №1". Art Gallery "Square". Omsk
  • 2000 - "Paper zone". Gallery "Da-da". Omsk
  • 1999 - "Krasnoyarsk International museum biennale". Krasnoyarsk
  • 1999 - "International biennale of easel graphics". Novosibirsk picture gallery. Novosibirsk
  • 1999 - "Object". Gallery "Golden way". Omsk
  • 1997 - "Exhibition to the 30th anniversary of the author". "Cuchum" gallery. Omsk
  • 1996 - "Skit-96". "Skit" gallery. Omsk
  • 1995 - "Exhibition of the Four". Academic drama theatre. Omsk
  • 1994 - "Exhibition to the 10th anniversary of Zelenogorsk Art Museum. Krasnoyarsk Krai
  • 1994 - "Artists of Omsk. Visits". Kurgan Museum of Fine Arts
  • 1993 - "Provincial modernism". Exhibition hall on Hodynka. Moscow
  • 1992 - "Synthesis". Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts. Omsk
  • 1991 - "Contemporary Siberian Art". Warsaw Centre of Arts. Poland
  • 1990 - "Exhibition-opening of Siberian gallery of modern art". Pavilion in "Flora" square. Omsk
  • 1989 - "Exhibition of Union "Cross". "Flora" square. Omsk
  • 1988 - "Exhibition of artists' association "The Tower". House of Actor. Omsk

 

Museum collections

  • Moscow Museum of Modern Art
  • Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts
  • City museum "Art of Omsk"
  • Zelenogorsk Art Museum
  • Novosibirsk State Art Museum
  • Novokuznetsk Art Museum
  • State Art Museum of Altai Krai
  • Kurgan Art Museum
  • Surgut State Art Museum
  • The National Center for Contemporary Art (Moscow)