AFA BEIJING CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE

ONE OF YOU - NEW WORKS BY KONSTANTIN BESSMERTNY (solo)

OVERVIEW

EXHIBITION SYNOPSIS

One of the most celebrated of European artists residing and working in Asia, Konstantin Bessmertny's name is well known in the artistic circles of Hong Kong and Macao and even those of Europe via his impressive painting technique and substantial knowledge of culture and history. Born in 1964 in Blagovesthensk in the then USSR, Bessmertny revealed an exceptional talent for painting in his childhood compared to other children of his age.

At 14, he hosted his first solo painting exhibition, thereby paving his path to professional training in the arts and creativity. Following a decade of rigorous training in life drawing and painting in the Russian style, he became a professional artist in 1992. Arriving in Macao by accident, he established his own studio, and has since resided in this utopian-like place with his family. The difference between Bessmertny's art before and after he moved to Macao lies in the new elements, materials and inspirations Bessmertny absorbed through the cultural environment and lifestyle of the mixed Chinese and Western cultures.

Remarkably talented as both researcher and innovator, Bessmertny impresses his friends with his wit and humour. The best of Bessmertny is his ability to integrate his genuine personality and extensive knowledge of history, politics, language and philosophy into art creation. Whichever language one speaks or wherever one comes from, Bessmertny easily influences them with his humorous yet absurd works.

Bessmertny also possesses a thorough understanding of classism, philosophy, religious symbols and the semiotics of the Middle Ages. A glimpse of his works enables us to encounter an immensely broad scope of culture and is a feast for the eyes. His painting technique represents an inheritance and advocacy of classical painting that once flourished in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Europe. Bessmertny's technique benefits from his early Russian training in life drawing and painting as well as his long-term dedicated exploration, which have enabled him to produce art as a dialogue bridging the classical and modern eras. Embedded in his paintings are both absurdity and humour: behind those sluggish faces and ridiculous actions communicating utter absurdity are profound innuendos, calling his viewers to yet another intricate grasp of what appears before their eyes.