Alexandre Evgrafov
Early Life and Inspiration
Alexandre Evgrafov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. Alexandre’s father was a key figure in his childhood and was the artist’s first and foremost inspiration. There was no doubt in Alexandre’s mind that art would become his destiny—he knew it from an early age. At the age of five, Alexandre was already exploring the nature of colour and beginning to see the intricacies of paint and its texture. There were two intertwining realities. One was the real world, and the other was on the canvas (not less real)—both warm and beautiful.
Education and Early Recognition
At the age of 17, Alexandre moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he enrolled in the Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. He spent ten years deeply engrossed in the study of the classical arts. Following this achievement, the artist pursued his master’s degree in the School of Post-Graduate Studies at the Academy of Arts. Recognized early on by his professors, some of Sasha’s — as he is sometimes called by friends and acquaintances — early works are still on display in some of the Academy’s most valued collections.
Exhibitions and Artistic Development
Through the years spent in St. Petersburg, Alexandre, along with other well-known artists, participated in numerous exhibitions across Russia and Europe. Though unplanned and spontaneous, in 1991, Alexandre found himself in Toronto, Canada. There, the artist underwent a sort of metamorphosis that reflected itself through his work. As a result, year by year, his passion for versatility has grown, prompting different series of paintings and drawings. The emphasis on colour and texture in Alexandre’s works is reflective of his passion for the South, with pronouncing brush strokes engulfed in warmth, and light that conjure the appearance of reality itself.
Metamorphosis in Canada
Alexandre’s previous experiences in Russia and his time in Canada have given his work great depth. His travels continue to lend themselves in his paintings as new aspirations are formed and new realities are created. With a variety of techniques and mediums, Sasha has created magnetic pieces of art that seem to contain a language of their own. The artist’s drawings, encaustics, and paintings have found their way into prominent galleries across the globe.
International Recognition and Collections
Many of Alexandre’s works can be found today in museums and private collections: the Museum of History of Leningrad, the Academy of Fine Arts of Russia, and Pushkin’s Museum in France have all collected Alexandre’s paintings. Private collections have also spread Alexandre’s works worldwide, with owners in Russia, France, Germany, Japan, the US, Israel, Finland, Italy, St. Lucia, and the United Arab Emirates. Yet with Alexandre's uncanny ability to manipulate the colours and textures of paint, combined with his profound history of the great painters before him, art critics are speculating that this gifted painter seems to just now be on the verge of hitting his prime and making a breakthrough in the forefront of the international art scene.