Yevgenia Gradova

99. Volcano 15 x 27 inches, oil on canvas SOLD

Yevgenia Nikolayevna Gradova was born shortly after the end of the Second World War in the town of Orenburg, near the Russian border with Kazakhstan, where her parents had been evacuated because of the war. The family then returned to Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

In 1964 Gradova enrolled in the prestigious Academy of Arts, founded in 1788, and famous under several names since. It is now called the Repin Arts Institute, but still known commonly as the Academy. In 1971 she completed with distinction the course of study in the theater art department under the direction of A. I. Segal.

A theater artist plays a crucial role in defining the visual impact of the plays by designing the costumes to fit the period, the characters, and to help carry the author's and director's message to the spectator. A theater artist studies history and literature as well as design, because the objective of her creations is to interpret for the written and conceived in the vivid language of the seen.

Upon finishing her studies, Gradova worked as a theater artist in the Drama Theater in Kotlass. In 1973 Gradova moved to Komsomol'sk-on-Amour to take the position of artistic director at the Drama Theater in this young and rapidly growing city. After two years she returned to Leningrad and in 1976 received a job as theater costume designer at the Bryantsev Youth Theater. In 1982 she "graduated" to the influential Gorky Academic Drama Theater in Leningrad. In collaboration with E. S. Kochergin, the artistic director of the theater, she designed costumes for many plays. Since 1989 she has been working with various theaters all over the country on a contract basis.

Gradova's professionalism and style have been frequently praised, as well as her ability to design spectacular costumes, uniquely reflecting the epoch of the play and the author's and director's conception of the character. She is widely known in the theater world for her work.

Gradova likes to travel across Russia, and her sketch book goes with her. Her paintings show the same refinement of line and color as her theater work. They are airy, delicate, and thoughtful.