Alexei Smirnov
|
|
|
|
|
22. Bankers' Bridge at Twilight |
|
11. Bankers' Bridge at Night |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19. Anichkov Bridge During White Nights |
|
20. Anichkov Bridge During Fall |
Alexei Smirnov was born 7 January 1957 in St. Petersburg, Russia (then Leningrad), into a family with a long-running artistic tradition. Smirnov's father had taught at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, the most prestigious arts college in Russia.
Alexei realized his artistic calling early in life, and entered the preparatory school at the Academy of Arts. In 1981 he graduated from the Academy. He then taught for three years at a magnet arts school in St. Petersburg.
In 1989 Smirnov had a personal exhibition in Berlin, which brought him international acclaim. Many of his works have travelled to private collections in Europe and Russia.
The main inspiration for Smirnov's work is his native city, the majestic St. Petersburg. He has created a series of canvases depicting the many bridges of St. Petersburg, a city sprawled on the Baltic shores over the cold delta of the Neva river. Smirnov's work encompasses a studied balance between monumentality and joi de vivre in his depictions of the familiar city.
