Until recently, Russian artist Nikolai Kopeikin happily stayed in the art underground and did not organize his exhibitions in Moscow. Today, the name of this man is associated with contemporary art at its best.
Most likely, visiting restaurants in Moscow, you will not find paintings by this author hanging on the wall. But this is explained simply - Nikolai Kopeikin still believes that art should be considered as pure creativity, which has no place in the utilitarian part of modern life.
The basis of creativity
The artist's work is completely subordinated to the real world that surrounds the author. The emergence of a new trend in painting and sculpture, multirealism, is associated with the name of Kopeikin. The essence of the movement is to demonstrate art "as it is." The slogan of this direction was the truthful: "I draw as best I can."
According to the artist himself, the content, idea and message should be higher than the wrapper and form in which the idea is presented. That is why it does not matter how the work is performed, what is important is what it tells. According to this principle, the works of Nikolai are also built. Most of his paintings and installations are full of ironic content on current political or social topics. Raising important questions, the artist seeks to express himself and his time. The result is polemical work, with a share of sarcasm and controversial points.
Today, Kopeikin shares his passion for drawing and creating with directing. Under his auspices, the films "Apiary" (2002), "Fantômas Takes Off the Mask" (2007), as well as "Star Pile" (2011) were created. The author plans to create for a long time, shocking the public with emotional works and causing a violent public reaction.
Nikolai Kopeikin paintings
Society always notices people who create something unique. It is especially difficult to come up with something completely new in any developed area. The well-known Russian artist Nikolai Kopeikin succeeded in this, who managed not only to create a new direction in painting, but also to make his works relevant and topical. But first things first.
Author biography
Nikolai Kopeikin was born in the northern capital of Russia in 1966. However, due to the special worldview that permeates his work, the artist claims that his birth dates back to 02/06/1936 and took place in the city of Puhtograd, and now he lives and works in Porebrik City.
Kopeikin's talent for drawing manifested itself in childhood. The boy could spend hours doing this. The author's two diplomas of higher education have nothing to do with painting. The first artist received in 1990 after graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Belarusian State Pedagogical Institute, the second - four years later in the direction of "Management".
Nothing has yet been said about where Nikolai Kopeikin studied creative activity. The artist does not have the appropriate education, but he has outstanding abilities, inexhaustible imagination, as well as many new ideas embodied in his topical works.
In addition to painting, the author has many other interests and activities. So, Kopeikin has been cooperating with the musical group "NOM" ("Informal Association of Youth") for more than 15 years. Another project of the artist is the creation of the creative association "KOLKHUi" (stands for "Witch artists"), which has been operating since 2002.
Author's paintings
What kind of canvases is the artist Nikolai Kopeikin famous for? All the paintings of the author are painted in the style of cartoon realism, invented by the painter himself.
The works are stylistically reminiscent of Soviet absurdist folklore, as well as illustrations from children's books.
Kopeikin lives and works in the northern capital of the Russian Federation, so most of his works are associated with this city. An example is the whole cycle - "Elephants of Petersburg". The artist developed a myth about how the first such animal, brought to the city during the reign of Peter the Great, gave rise to other elephants, which gradually became human and became plumbers. From living too long next to people, these giants adopted far from the best qualities of the human race, which is embodied in the paintings.
The painter loves to make fun of the bad sides of human nature. To do this, he uses images of famous domestic and foreign cartoon characters and comic book characters. So, the author combined in his work "Superheroes" the famous painting by Vasnetsov with the images of Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. Thus, Kopeikin wanted to portray the ideal of real heroes that has changed in modern people.
Another painting illustrating human vices is the "Ship Rat". Three astronauts are depicted on the canvas. Two of them are sleeping, and the third is eating common foods at this time.
The work "Into the Smoke" depicts a person's escape from reality into prostration and the world of illusions while intoxicated.
Exhibitions
Nikolai Kopeikin is popular not only in Russia. The artist's paintings were exhibited more than 30 times together with other authors and 15 times in the format of personal exhibitions both at various sites in our country and in the largest cities of Europe: London, Amsterdam, Geneva and others.
Other activities
As mentioned above, Nikolai Kopeikin does not only paint. He, with the participation of A. Kagadeev, shot many feature films: “Belarusian True Story”, “Apiary”, “Geopolips”, “The Brown Age of Russian Literature”, etc. His directorial talent was recognized by the jury of various film festivals (“Kinoshok”, Rotterdam IFF, etc.).
outlook
Nikolai Kopeikin once said in an interview about how he sees the role of the creator in Russia. According to the artist, in European countries, artists are treated as representatives of the upper class, they are perceived loftily. In our country, creativity is treated as something radical, sometimes even revolutionary, and, consequently, its value is increasing.
Nikolai Kopeikin claims that he did not come up with anything new in painting. Pictures are just a means of expressing thoughts. His cartoons, as his work is often called, would not be multirealist if they did not include painting. And since it exists, then this direction of art lives and develops.
Nikolai Kopeikin Gallery
Nikolay Kopeikin lived happily in the underground for a long time. True, it was a special, current, St. Petersburg underground. Without the past, Soviet ideological filling, he, of course, lost in the heroic, but he gained in everyday life: it’s still a wonderful thing to live as an artist in harmony with himself, naturally, without chasing grants, spitting on the establishment. Moreover, the current underground was left alone: Prigov's Militsaner, personifying state control, is dozing at his post (if he wakes up and threatens someone with a zugunder, then it is Moscow, advanced, very smart). It was from this happy underground Dolce Vita that Kopeikin planned his escape. What for?
Nikolai Kopeikin - St. Petersburg artist. Born in 1966.
Since 1999 he has been collaborating with the musical group NOM. One of the founders of the film studio "NOMFILM". In collaboration with A. Kagadeev, he made feature films "Apiary", "Geopolips", "Belarusian true story", "Fantômas takes off the mask", "The Brown Age of Russian Literature".
Participant and laureate of a number of domestic and international film festivals (Moscow Film Festival "Joint", Rotterdam IFF, Kinoshock-2008 and so on). Author of many posters and postcards. Author of "Books for Elderly Children", publishing house "Bydlo", 2004
One of the founders of the creative association "Artistic Sect "KOLKHUI""
Participation in exhibitions:
1. Other fish. 1998, cinema center "Spartak", St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting, objects.
2. Swan, crayfish and pike. 1999, "Red Chambers" Gallery, Moscow. Graphics, painting.
4. Annual exhibition "Petersburg" 2000-2009 exhibition hall "Manezh". St. Petersburg.
5. Christmas exhibition. Cave. 2001-2002 Museum of Anna Akhmatova. St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting.
6. Christmas exhibition. City. 2002-2003, Anna Akhmatova Museum. St. Petersburg. Painting.
7. New Russian Biedermeier. 2002 Exhibition Hall of the House of Art. Schwandorf. Graphics, painting, objects.
8. Biedermeier - art with a human face. 2002 Gallery "Borey". St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting, objects.
9. Creativity of St. Petersburg artists. 2002 Ghent Cultural Center. Graphics, painting.
10. Creativity of rock artists and musicians. 2002 Exhibition hall "Manege". St. Petersburg. Graphic arts.
11. International festival of performance and installation. 2002-2005 Exhibition Hall "Manezh". St. Petersburg. Installation, mixed media.
12. Petersburg 2002-2009 Exhibition Hall "Manezh". St. Petersburg. Painting, installations.
13. Yo-mine. 2003 Cultural center "Pushkinskaya 10", St. Petersburg. Graphic arts.
14. Memorable places of St. Petersburg. 2003, Anna Akhmatova Museum. St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl Graphics.
15. "ChMO. Man, Magic, Society", 2004, Gallery "Borey", St. Petersburg.
16. "ChMO. Man, Magic, Society", 2004, Gallery "L", Moscow.
17. To the 100th anniversary of Daniil Kharms. 2005, Goda Gallery, Amsterdam.
18. Festival exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of D. Kharms. 2005-2006 Cultural Centre, Rotterdam.
19. Memorable places of St. Petersburg. 2006 Yaroslavl Art Museum. Graphic arts.
20. Scrap Exhibition, 2004 Ruine Gallery. Geneva.
21. "Almost abstract", 2004 Expansionist Art Empire Gallery. Leiden.
22. "RAIN", 2004 ABCTREEHOUSE GALLERY, Amsterdam.
24. Scrap Exhibition-2, 2006, Ruine Gallery, Geneva.
25. "KOLKHUI in Geneva", 2007 Gallery "Samovar", Geneva.
26. "To the 200th anniversary of N.V. Gogol", 2009 Paris, Residence of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in France.
Personal exhibitions:
1. Vinaigrette with vegetable oil. 1997 Central House of Artists. Moscow. Graphics, painting.
2. For life. 1998, cinema center "Spartak". St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting.
3. "14 paintings", 1999, "On the Foundry". St. Petersburg.
4. Happiness on a string. 2001 Gallery "Borey". St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting
5. About 200 traveling exhibitions in European countries. 2002-2008 Cultural centers, galleries. Graphics, painting.
6. "Just a dray", 2005, Grand Palace, St. Petersburg Painting.
7. "No name", 2006 Expansionist Art Empire Gallery. Leiden.
8. "Elephants of Petersburg", 2008, gallery "Borey", St. Petersburg.
Painting
9. "BG, GB and NTP" 2008-2009, gallery D137, St. Petersburg. Painting.
10. "Painting", 2009, Central Exhibition Hall "Manege". St. Petersburg.
Works are kept in museums, galleries and private collections in Russia, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Japan.
