Contemporary Impressionist painter
Leonid Afremov is recognized for his vivid paintings which have helped him to break the traditional rules of Western art. His style is marked by an unmistakably Russian feel, with elements of fantasy and Oriental mysticism which create a unique kind of visual experience. His works frequently appear in prestigious exhibitions and have helped him to earn much reputation in the art world.
Consisting of over sixty works which are arranged in the format of a series of scenes which occur in both the present and the future, the view leonid afremov painting gallery is an intriguing reconstruction of vitebskennia, or rather, jewish realism. Impressive though it may seem, this is actually the result of the Russian artist trying to explore the ever-changing phenomena of life and time. It is this view which makes the jewish subject particularly appealing, since it permits the artists to deal with the very human subject at a level of emotional intensity that is rarely explored in more traditional Western art.
Consisting of mostly landscapes and portraits, the first section of the exhibition consists of the work of Leonid Afremov which was inspired by ancient russian israeli subjects. Using powerful colours, leonid's compositions successfully evoke the magnificent sweep and texture of traditional israeli landscape paintings. The colours are rich and strong, often used in combinations to suggest not only a landscape, but also certain moods and feelings such as hope, loneliness, or purity.
The second section features Leonid Afremov's paintings entitled Memories. These, like the first, portray traditional scenes from israeli life, but with strong russian islamic overtones and a highly stylized style of composition. Shades of grey and yellows dominate the tones and the painter creates a sense of distance between his pictures and the viewer, in effect creating a highly stylized painting. The highly political and iconic imagery is almost certainly a challenge for any westerner to navigate, and the colours are highly saturated and extremely bright.
The final section of the exhibition includes works from the Russian impressionist movement. The style and subject matter of these early works by the likes of Alexey Tsitsin and Vasili Oschepkov are all clearly influenced by the works of leonid afremov. However, even the masterpieces created by these Russian masters are somewhat less than what one would expect. The colours are still strong, but muted and there is no real sense of depth and dimension. This lack of detail is perhaps the key factor to why these paintings should be considered a form of Art for everyone to buy paintings of. The simplicity of their appearance can easily be dismissed as a result of their lack of sophistication, but like all great art there is always a certain degree of brilliance inherent in the pieces.
Tsitsin and Oschepkov also have a lot of experimentation going on in their paintings. Although they do follow the leonid style of painting, they inject a lot of contemporary Russian spices into their work. The colours are still bright and vibrant, but they are also far more vivid and emotive. They inject a lot of vibrancy into their paintings and as such are certainly highly enjoyable to look at. If you like contemporary art, but would prefer a more subtle approach, then you will probably really enjoy works from the Russian artists.
Another one of the larger Russian Jewish organisations that feature on the main floor of the exhibition are the Simon Weishan Jewish Museum and its partners Hacarmel and Kirchwerder Institute. These museums display the complete works of seven great Russian Jewish artists including Vasili Oschepkov, Lev Manin, Anatoly Ostrovich Uhersky, Yossef Melkon and Grigory Tsitsin. It is perhaps for this reason that Ishmael is one of the most popular works on view here. His colourful brush strokes and use of contrasting textures is extremely pleasing to the eye.
Although all seven of the abovementioned artists displayed their own pieces at the Leonid Afremov painting gallery, they were all brought together by their respective family members. The artists were brought together by their familial connections to ensure that their styles and techniques were as complementary as possible. For example, Vasili Oschepkov was brought together by his wife Irina. His use of strong colours and the warm reds and golds which he used was also based on the colour scheme of his wife's home.
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| Freshness Of Cold — Palette Knife Oil Pa, Malerei von Leonid – Leonid Afremov | Leonid Afremov |
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| On The Way To Morning By Leonid Afremov, Malerei von Leonid – Leonid Afremov | Leonid Afremov |
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| LONELINESS OF AUTUMN — PALETTE KNIFE Oil Painting On Canvas By Leonid Afremov – Leonid Afremov | Leonid Afremov |
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| WALK WITH DOG — PALETTE KNIFE Oil Painting On Canvas By Leonid Afremov – Leonid Afremov | Leonid Afremov |
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| MELODY OF THE NIGHT — PALETTE KNIFE Oil Painting On Canvas By Leonid Afremov – Leonid Afremov | Leonid Afremov |
