Rinat Voligamsi (born 1968, Russian: Ринат Волигамси), real name Rinat Fazletdinovich Ismagilov (Russian: Ринат Фазлетдинович Исмагилов), is a Russian surrealist painter. His works largely deal with his childhood in the Soviet Union as well as the situation of modern Russia. He is based in Ufa.[1]
Rinat Voligamsi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rinat Ismagilov March 6, 1968 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Alma mater | Ufa State Petroleum Technological University |
| Style | Surrealism, Post-conceptualism |
Life and career edit
Voligamsi was born in 1968 in the small town of Yermolaevo in what was then the Bashkir ASSR. He has had an interest in painting since a young age. He entered into Ufa State Petroleum Technological University in 1984, where he received an education in architecture, graduating in 1989. He was conscripted into the Red Army in 1988, but was released within a year to return to his studies.[2] In 1994, he was given the State Prize of the Russian Federation in recognition of his work.[3] Since 2000, Voligamsi has been a member of the Russian Union of Artists.[4] In 2014, he won the Repin Prize of the Russian Federation and was nominated for the Kandinsky Prize.[5]
Voligamsi gained widespread recognition for his 2006 Unofficial Album collection, a fictional retelling of the life of Vladimir Lenin through his art. In the collection, Lenin has a twin brother named Sergei[6] and he survives through 1924, deciding to throw away his life in politics and choosing to live life as a Muslim.[3]
His other collections include Snow (2011–13), Dvoegorsk (2018), focusing on a fictional town named Dvoegorsk,[1] and The Conditions of Winter, focusing on soldiers surviving through the harsh Russian winter.[7]
Style edit
Voligamsi is known for a style that crosses between surrealism and photorealism. He bases many of his artworks off old Soviet newspapers and photographs.[8] His process involves finding photographs related to the subject area he wants to depict, studying the pictures, putting them away and painting from memory.[9] Voligamsi describes the USSR he grew up in as a fundamental influence on his work, but he leaves the messages of his work regarding the USSR to the interpretation of his audience. In terms of the mood of his paintings, he cites his influence as British punk, and his military influences stem from his military service. He describes his work as humorous and creating a precarious balance between "rationality and utter insanity".[10]
Permanent collections edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Dvoegorsk – Solo exhibition by Rinat Voligamsi". Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Noise of Time – Russian contemporary art from Erarta 29th September to 26th November 2017". Maritime Center Vellamo. 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Rinat Voligamsi's Conditions of Winter – picture preview". The Independent. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Rinat Voligamsi". Kandinsky Prize. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Rinat Voligamsi". 11.12 Gallery. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Sinelschikova, Yekaterina (5 April 2021). "10+ versions of Vladimir Lenin in contemporary art (PHOTOS)". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "The Conditions of Winter". Artlyst. October 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Voon, Claire (19 January 2015). "10 Must-See Works of Art at Art Stage Singapore 2015". Forbes. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Pryor, John-Paul (19 April 2012). "Past, Present & Future". AnOther Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Symester, Chantelle (18 October 2011). "Rinat Voligamsi: The Conditions of Winter". Dazed. Retrieved 4 May 2021.