Igor Oleinikov

Born 10th of August 1968 in Krasnodar (Southern Russia)

His work is in the tradition of the great art of Classical Modernism; to this end, Oleinikov uses elements that are not found solely in Romanticism, but far before this epoch. The signs developed by Igor Oleinikov, the surreal colouring detached from external texture and the degrees of abstraction of his symbolism find expression in highly independent pictorial worlds.

Sometimes Oleinikov's paintings are reminiscent of Andrei Tarkovsky's film images. They are finely worked elements in their depths and with large motifs in the foreground: sealed movements, frozen in complicated mixed media. In addition, Oleinikov links nature with melancholy dream motifs. The compositions of his creatures - captivated humans as well as untamed animals of the forest - are broken up by elements richly alienated in colour. Such pictorial compositions contain his confidence even in a post-apocalyptic evolution of our planet: Oleinikov's world of colour clashes with monochrome graphite, yet the protagonists' soul dilemma, palpable therein, repeatedly awakens associations with their sensitivity, their alert musings, their thinking and their inexplicable sympathy with the other observing them: with us. In the midst of the worlds of shadow and light, these pictorial figures embody coded signs to help us protect our own individuality against the masses and preserve personal dignity.

Solo Exhibitions (Selection):

2010 Vorwärts, Galerie Döbele, Dresden

2011 Igor Oleinikov, Kunstverein Südsauerland

2012 Galerie Hegemann, München

2013 Fährtenleser, Neue Kunst Gallery Michael Oess, Karlsruhe

2015 Farbe beißt Graphit, Museum und Museumsverein, Residenzschloss Arolsen, Bad Arolsen

2015 Schwur, Neue Kunst Gallery, Karlsruhe

2015 Neue Kunst Gallery, Hofburg, Wien, Österreich

2016 Igor Oleinikov - Malerei - Neue Arbeiten, Art 7 Galerie, Köln

2016 Scout und Philosoph, Einzelausstellung, Galerie Döbele, Dresden

2017 Glanz und Gloria - Künstler der Galerie, Art 7 Galerie, Köln

2018 Mündung, Neue Kunst Gallery, Karlsruhe

2020 Wege, Schaudepot, Döbele Kunst Mannheim, Mannheim

2021 Lichtmagie (One Artist Show), Schaudepot Döbele Kunst Mannheim

2021 Lotse, Christian Marx Galerie, Düsseldorf

2022 Der Zeichner, Neue Kunst Gallery Michael Oess, Karlsruhe