Vassily Nesterenko, artist
Russia, Moscow
The end of the XX century and onset of the XXI century is a complicated historical epoch giving birth to new artistic trends, tendencies, values. Creative work of the Moscow painter Vassily Nesterenko is inseparable from his time. He belongs to one of those masters who are to bring national art into a new millenium.
Excellent academic training, deep perception of the present, rare diligence helped V.Nesterenko “burst” into national artistic life. He is fast in attaining independence, achieving maturity of style and gaining recognition. He is noted for high creative abilities: among his works one can see portraits, landscapes, large-size historical canvases, compositions on religious themes.
Artistic comprehension of changes in the society’s spiritual life and transformation of the social attitude are embodied in a cycle of pictures devoted to trips to sacred places, in icon-painting, in making portraits of Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and the whole of Russia; Diodoros, Patriarch of Jerusalem; other ecclesiastics.
The main theme of his historical canvases is the assertion of a person and individual active creative basis. In his work, Nesterenko often turns to the epoch of Peter the Great and enriches pictorial art various historical subjects, e.g. The Triumph of the Russian Fleet or Moscow Welcomes the heroes of Poltava.
The artistic method of V.Nesterenko the portraitist is based on a comprehensive study of a human being's nature. His portraits are remarkable for acuteness in conveying a character. The painter discloses people's spiritual values with a special warmth. In female portraits he acts as a subtle lyrist creating bright harmonic images.
Landscape occupies a prominent place in V.Nesterenko's works. The image of nature sounds in a set of historical canvases, in portraiture and is fully disclosed in landscapes. V.Nesterenko travels a lot around Russia and never puts aside a painter's case in trips over Europe and America.
V.Nesterenko's participation in recreating a pictorial attire of the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was his real success. That very complicated work required not only highest skills but also an ability to act in a manner typical of great painters of the XIXth century.
Multi-character evangelist topics The Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem, The Resurrection, Apostle Matthew, Epiphany embodied by V.Nesterenko are located in the central, most important part of Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow.
A prominent facet of the painter's activity is his work in the Patriarchal refectory of Christ the Savior Cathedral. With the Patriarch’s blessing, V.Nesterenko is embodying five evangelistic themes, namely: The Last Supper, Marriage in Kana of Galilea, Wonder feeding, Wonder haul, Christ and Samarian woman.
A real success was V.Nesterenko’s picture The Last Supper where the author showed himself as a painter of deep comprehension of complexity and everlasting value of evangelistic themes, this picture occupied the central part of the Patriarchal refectory in Christ the Savior Cathedral.
Creative work of Vassily Nesterenko, Merited Artist of the Russian Federation, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, is invariably in the focus of attention of multiple viewers. One can see his pictures in museums and at major home and foreign exhibitions. He is an industrious person, full of ideas, and new canvases regularly appear in his art studio.
Academician Ye.Zverkov
Russian Academy of Arts
Vice-President
Works of artist
Cafe de Flore in Paris
1992, canvas, oil, 70x60 cm
Sevilla
1995, canvas, oil, 38x61 cm
Christmas in Jerusalem
2002, canvas, oil, 130x90 cm
Mount Athos. St. Anne cell
1997, canvas, oil, 100x130 cm
Nook of old Venice
1992, canvas, oil, 100x75 cm
Nook of Montmartre
1993, canvas, oil, 75x100 cm
The Creative Biography
1967 - Born in Pavlograd;
1980-1985 - Studies at the Moscow secondary art school, gold medal graduate;
1985-1994 - Studies at the V.Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute (MSAAI), easel painting faculty. Tutors: N.Prisekin, People's Artist of Russia; A.Dronov; professors N.Khristoliubov, Ye.Troshev, L.Shepelev, S.Shilnikov, T.Salakhov;
1985, December - 1987, October - Service in the Soviet Army;
1988, autumn - Youth of Russia All-Union exhibition. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow;
1989, spring - All-Russian exhibition of young painters. Central Artists' House,...
1967 - Born in Pavlograd;
1980-1985 - Studies at the Moscow secondary art school, gold medal graduate;
1985-1994 - Studies at the V.Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute (MSAAI), easel painting faculty. Tutors: N.Prisekin, People's Artist of Russia; A.Dronov; professors N.Khristoliubov, Ye.Troshev, L.Shepelev, S.Shilnikov, T.Salakhov;
1985, December - 1987, October - Service in the Soviet Army;
1988, autumn - Youth of Russia All-Union exhibition. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow;
1989, spring - All-Russian exhibition of young painters. Central Artists' House, Moscow;
1989, autumn - All-Union exhibition. Manezh Hall, Moscow;
1989, November - Exhibition of young painters. Bulgarian Culture Centre, Moscow;
1990, spring - Academic drawings exhibition. Czechoslovakian National Academy of Arts, Prague;
1990, April - One-man show of graphics. Exhibition hall of the V.Surikov State Art Institute, Moscow;
1990, May - Exhibition of paintings by students of Moscow art colleges. Central Artists' House, Moscow;
1990, May - Purchase of the Chernobyl picture by the Kiev Art Museum;
1991, April-May - One-man show, devoted to M.Gorbachev's visit to Japan. Happy World Inc. Gallery, Tokyo;
1991, June - All-Russian exhibition of portrait. Gallery of the Moscow Branch of the Artists' Union, Moscow;
1991, September - 1992, June - Special graduate course at the PRATT Institute, USA (recommendation given by the USSR Ministry of Culture). Tutors: professors R.Niare, Ph.Helmann, F.Lindt;
1991, November - One-man show. CityBank Gallery, New York;
1992, April - Becomes a member of the American Artists Professional League (AAPL);
1992, May - Receives a honorary award at APPL's 64th National Exhibition;
1992, March - One-man show. Ambassador Gallery, New York;
1992, April - Group show. National Westminster Bank Gallery, New York;
1992, autumn - New York EXPO exhibition. Javits Centre, New York;
1992, September - Full Spectrum exhibitions. Long Island Art Museum, New York;
1992, November - One-man show. Ambassador Gallery, New York;
1993, spring - Group show. Nassau County Museum, Long Island, state of New York;
1993, August - New wave of Russian realism exhibition. Olga Gallery, Moscow;
1994, July - Presentation of the Triumph of the Russian Fleet picture and one-man show. Central Museum of Armed Forces, Moscow;
1994, September - Group show. Fletcher Art Gallery, Santa Fe, state of New Mexico;
1994, October - Group show. Turner Gallery, Denver, state of Colorado;
1994, autumn - One-man show and group shows. Simic Gallery Complex, state of California;
1994, December - Exhibitions of diploma works made by 1992-94 graduates from the V.Surikov and I.Repin state art institutes (Moscow and St. Petersburg, respectively). Exhibition halls of the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow;
1994, spring - Becomes a member of UNESCO's International Federation of Artists and a member of the International Artists Fund;
1994, May - Triumph of the Russian Fleet picture as a diploma work at MSAAI;
1995, spring - Becomes a member of the Moscow Artists' Union;
1995, autumn - Diploma of the Russian Academy of Arts;
1995, February - First sketches of wall paintings for Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow;
1995, spring - All-Russian youth exhibition. Gallery of Moscow Branch of the Artists' Union, Moscow;
1995, May - Cossaks images in modern art exhibition. Gallery of the V.Surikov State Art Institute, Moscow;
1995, July - Under the Andreev Ensign exhibition. Kolomenskoe Museum-Preserve, Moscow;
1996, May - Exhibition of pictures within the contest for re-creation of wall painting for Christ the Savior Cathedral. Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow;
1996, June-July - One-man show. Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow1996, August - One-man show. House of Government of the Russian Federation (RF), Moscow;
1996, December - 20 centuries of Christianity exhibition. Central Artists' House, Moscow;
1996, December - 1997, January - One-man show. Mercer Gallery, New York;
1997, July - One-man show. Kremlin, apartments of Administration of the Russian Federation President, Moscow;
1997, September - Show of projects of reconstruction of wall painting of Christ the Savior Cathedral. Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow;
1997, October - Moscow Government's donation of The Last Supper picture to Christ the Savior Cathedral and its placement in the Patriarchal refectory;
1999, April-May - One-man show. Novy Manezh State Exhibition Hall, Moscow;
1999, May - Awarding of a honorary title - Merited Artist of the Russian Federation;
1999, April 15 - November 25 - Wall painting of Christ the Savior Cathedral. The Resurrection and Apostle Matthew (Cathedral's northwest pylon); The Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Cathedral's western tympanum), and Epiphany (Cathedral's northern tympanum);
1999, December - 2000, January - Heads a team of artists working at pictorial attire of the Throne Hall of the Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem;
2000, February-May - Works at sketches for refectories of Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow;
2000, July - One-man show within the framework of the musical festival under the auspices of Irina Arkhipova, Ostashkov;
2000, July-August - Heads a team of artists creating a pictorial and ornamental attire for the Church Council Hall antechamber, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow;
2000, August - Decorated with the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd class for wall paining of Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow;
2000, October - One-man show. Diplomatic Corps Department of RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cultural center), Moscow;
2000, November - Presentation of the portrait of Irina Arkhipova. Vrubel Hall of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow;
2000-2001 - Works at four canvases: Marriage in Kana of Galilea, Wonder feeding, Christ and Samarian woman, Wonder haul for the Patriarchal refectory of Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow;
2001, March - Elected a Member Correspondent of the Russian Academy of Arts.
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