Valeriy Belenikin Art

Biography

Born at Moscow in 1961, Valeriy Belenikin is a graduate of the Moscow Academy of Fine Arts named after V. I. Surikov.

The artist's conception of his work is based upon truth and the mystery of this life.He is in awe of all that takes place in this world. Not only human banality, but all that is best in humanity occupy the thoughts of the true artist.

As master of various artistic techniques (murals, frescoes, mosaics) he is easily able to communicate his innermost emotions and feelings.

Valeriy's initial works are housed in public buildings and cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Melbourne. Based on his paintings lectures are currently being delivered at the Institute of Humanitarian Studies, Melbourne University. In addition, his paintings are to be found not only in public foundations,such as: The State House of Lieutenant Governor (USA), ING Bank (Vienna and Paris), the Russian Cultural Center (Moscow),the Gallery Mars (Moscow),but also in many private and corporate collections the world over: Russia, France, Germany, USA, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Argentina, Syria, Australia, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, etc.

At the present time Valeriy is actively and productively engaged in the realization of his own artistic plans, which plans will hopefully enrich world culture.

Valeriy's first language may be Russian, but the language of Art is, after all is said and done, international in its scope.

Exhibitions

2008, Solo Exhibit Museum of the Academy of Art, Moscow, Russia

2008, Solo Exhibit: Art Center, Moscow, RUssia

2008, Solo Exhibit: United Latin Center, Moscow, Russia

2006, Solo Exhibit: Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA, USA

2006, Solo Exhibit: Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia

2005, Participation:James A. Michener Art Museum, New Hope, PA,USA

2005, Solo Exhibit: "Saint Vincent Gallery", Latrobe, PA, USA

2004, Solo Exhibit: "Maison Fleury Gallery", Malvern, PA, USA

2003, Solo exhibit: PNC Bank, New Hope, PA, USA

2000, Solo exhibit: "Sculpture Showcase Ltd" lecture, New Hope, PA,USA

1998, Solo Auction: "Southampton College of Fine Art",Long Island, NY,USA

1998, Participation: "Art-Expo", Barcelona, Spain

1998, Solo exhibit: "Ozone Gallery", So-Ho, NYC, NY, USA

1998, Solo exhibit: "Zalman Gallery", NYC, NY, USA

1997, Solo exhibit: "Art International," Asheville, NC

1997, Solo exhibit: "Manezh", Moscow, Russia

1996, Solo exhibit: "Hotel Inter-Continental", Villah, Austria

1994, Solo exhibit: "CDX", Moscow, Russia

1994, Participation: "Gallery Euro-Art", Moscow, Russia

1994, Solo exhibit: Inter-Continental Hotel, Vienna, Austria

1993, Solo exhibit: "Russian Museum", Petrograd, Russia

1993, Participation: "Art-Expo," Adelaide, Australia

1993, Solo exhibit: Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

1993, Solo exhibit: Hotel Radisson-Slavianskaya, Moscow, Russia

1993, Participation: Moscow Cinema Festival, Moscow, Russia

1992, Solo exhibit: "Art-Miff Gallery", Moscow, Russia

1992, Solo exhibit: "Golf Club", Moscow, Russia

1992, Solo exhibit: Gallery Mars, Moscow, Russia

1992, Solo exhibit: Hotel Metropol, Moscow, Russia

1992, Solo exhibit: Gallery "The Mask," Moscow, Russia

1991, Participation: Group exhibition, Brussels, Belgium

1990, Solo exhibit: CDX, Moscow, Russia

1990, Solo exhibit: "Museum of History", Moscow, Russia

Frederick T.Dixon,PhD
Art Collector and Critic

STATEMENT ON THE ART OF VALERIY BELENIKIN
Frederick T. Dixon, PhD, Art Collector and Critic
STATEMENT ON THE ART OF VALERIY BELENIKIN

Valeriy Belenikin may speak Russian, but he communicates in an international language. His is the language of narrative art, for his paintings often seek to tell a story. In Belenikin's paintings you not only see art, but you are reading a work of art in the making: they do not have a traditional beginning, middle and end as has a novel. Rather, they focus on a particular moment in time, a situation or event. For Valeriy Belenikin art becomes inextricably entwined with life itself.

Valeriy Belenikin is a contemporary narrative painter who puts his own twist on what is often an old story of life, personal relationships, tension, difficulties in communication, human frailty, politics and the like. A voracious reader, he draws upon the classics as well as fairy tales to present his art. Although Belenikin comments on the modern world, he often does this by looking back in time, presenting his figures in dress, relationships and a life style from a more romantic and beautiful period of life.

Creativity flows from the hands of this artist. Often his works evoke a mood of fantasy. His technical skills are obvious. He is able to delicately recreate the human figure in intricate detail. But these are much more than meticulously prepared realistic paintings. This is narrative art at the highest level. Belenikin relies heavily on symbolism to provide insights that help to shape an understanding of the world we live in. This is not "pretty" art. Rather it is art that requires concentration and thought. The artist relies heavily on allegory. His paintings represent a relentless intellectual inquiry into a wide range of personal and social issues. Although there is no single, fixed interpretation of a particular work of art, Valeriy Belenikin will be happy to provide great detail about his own interpretation.

Valeriy Belenikin paints in search of his own place in art history. His imagination is among the most active and vivid in today's art community.

See if you don't agree when surveying these works.

REDEMPTION

A 40 X 20 FOOT MURAL IN NEW HOPE PAINTED BY VALERIY BELENIKIN. Master Russian artist Valeriy Belenikin has painted a majestic mural measuring approximately 40 X 20 foot at the restaurant Marsha Brown in New Hope. The restaurant is in a converted church. Belenikin worked on the mural seven days a week over a five month span from January to March 2003.

Valeriy Belenikin spent a great deal of time agonizing over whether to accept the commission. He consulted his priest at his Russian Orthodox Church because he was concerned about desecrating the site that was formally a church. Belenikin decided to accept the commission because he feared that another artist might paint it and would not hold the church setting in such high regard.

The subject is an updated version of the story of St. George slaying the dragon. The life of St. George is shrouded in legend. He lived from 245 to 313 AD. Because he complained to the Roman Emperor about the persecution of Christians, he was beheaded thus becoming an early Christian martyr. The Emperor's wife was so impressed with St. George's courage that she became a Christian and she too was put to death.

One of the legends surrounding St. George concerns his slaying of a famous dragon. A town tried to appease a dragon by sacrificing the king's daughter to him. But St. George saved the day by slaying the dragon.

Such famous Italian Renaissance artists as Raphael, Tintoretto and Rubens have depicted the struggle of St. George with the dragon in their paintings. These works hang in the National Gallery in Washington, the National Gallery in London and the Lourve in Paris.

Valeriy Belenikin is a student of Renaissance art and he is aware of these paintings. He did not want to redo St. George because the masters had already done it. Also, he did not want to put a religious icon in a restaurant. He chose to paint an updated version with 17th century men hunting lions. In deciding on the mural, he wrestled with the challenges of how to update a religious story so the memory of the church would remain within the building. Yet, make the mural acceptable for a restaurant setting. Belenikin is also showing us that this struggle between men and lions should remind us that we must think of the repercussions of violence. Everyone suffers, the attacked and the attackers.

The work was done slowly on dry plaster, cell by cell. Belenikin used the same traditional technique as the old Renaissance masters Although the mural is a modernization of the story of St. George and the dragon, it is designed as a tribute to Renaissance art. Valeriy Belenikin is reminding us of the importance of that tradition. He hopes we will not forget it.