The Red Room #1 (2024) Painting by Ilarion Szemerzewski

After finishing college, where I had developed a passion for 19th-century fashion, French literature and art history, vintage and antiques, I nonetheless felt lost.
To cope, I turned to painting, starting with gouache, then oil, and finally watercolours. I prefer using old school oil paint and brushes. I do not use acrylic colours, because, although they are rich, they dry out rapidly, whereas typically, I work slowly and need to take the happening on the canvas under control. Konstantin Korovin taught us that one should start a painting with the darkest spot to achieve a rich, vibrant colour palette⸺and I do.
My work focuses on colour’s emotional impact, using small contrasting strokes to capture the world’s complexity. It’s a balance between chaotic vibrancy and structured design—like a crystal chandelier, dazzling yet ordered. In a world overflowing with information, I cherish the details: sun glints, subtle nuances, the smallest metamorphosis. It is my personal act of defiance against the conventional, a refusal to surrender to the despair that life so readily presents.

• Nationality: MOLDOVA
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Moldovan Artists