Holy pintor (2002) Painting by Wanja

My painting began as an impulse without knowledge. Little by little it became a reflection of myself. I observe myself. I began to do it spontaneously and found a way of communicating with reality through the reinterpretation of religious signs. I became convinced that the painter is the center of the work and that painting acts as a key to learn, to decode and give a different interpretation to the signs of religion

I studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart in 1993-1994 with Professor Joseph Kosuth. The artist  Joseph Beuys and his concept of the World had a special influence on the formation of my concept, and his artistic object, the "Нare of the World", is present in some of my paintings, confirming Beuys's vision of the reincarnation of art. This is a global symbol, international, since its mission is to unite, not divide.

My paintings stand apart from both traditional and contemporary art. Formally, they belong to the archaic period: the figures are depicted barefoot, in long robes, their faces are turned to the viewer. They depict types rather than individuals. But the central place in the paintings is occupied not by the images of Christ or another saint, but by the Artist himself and Art, which have their own symbol - Iscus.

While working in Germany 25 years ago with gallery owner H. J. Müller, my paintings were called a new concept of icons - Transversal Icons.

In the paintings, I put the Artist on the highest pedestal between Christ and Lenin, as if a tribute to the winner. The square halo, used in antiquity to represent living saints, depicts Lenin, while the disk-shaped halo adorns Christ.

The artist is assigned a triangular halo. In tradition, halos crowned only God the Father. The second triangle above the head and halo breaks the frame. The picturesque space opens up to the sky and the world, to divine origin and inspiration. The meeting of these figures opens the question of what are the impulses that came into the world through Christ, Lenin and the Artist.

Mine tell unfinished stories. I use canvases and rarely wood coasters, acrylics and gold leaf. The story of this holy Artist is not over yet. I explore it with every new painting. With each icon, something more becomes clear, how the artist should understand himself in the world. In this I identify with the romantic idea of the artist as Salvador, since he also believes in the redemption of the world through art. Like religion, art also has a special contribution to make. But for this, he must still evolve to a higher plane, otherwise he is threatened with extinction. That's why the world needs an Artist of the World, and he needs to open up.

Over the past period, there were exhibitions in the museums of modern art in Germany and Spain, the paintings are in private collections.

• Nationality: RUSSIA
• Date of birth : 1965
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Russian Contemporary Artists