I was born in USSR, grew up in Siberia and currently living and working in Pittsburgh, PA USA.My first figurative show in 2004 - Naked Loneliness was closed down by the local officials of Barnaul, Russia - because of the penises in the paintings. Which would have been devastating, but it created much more exposure and reached a lot more people worldwide. The shut down also inspired me to continue working with male nude subject matter, not because i am gay, but because of the stereotypes that surround naked human body. Male nudity in art and in today's culture in general is a taboo...more
