132 - Elena Figurina (Елена Фигурина), “People and Birds” (Люди и птицы), large oil painting

Elena Figurina (Елена Фигурина), “People and Birds” (Люди и птицы), large oil painting Elena Nikolaevna Figurina, born 1955 in Ventspils, Latvia, is a prominent Latvian-Russian painter, graphic artist and sculptor. She is regarded as one of the key figures of the Leningrad Non-Conformist Movement; shown here: “People and Birds” (Люди и птицы), oil on canvas, 130 x 105 cm, signed, inscribed and dated on the reverse. 1988About the artist: In 1969, Elena Figurina moved with her family to Leningrad, where she completed her studies in music. In the mid-1970s, she forged close ties with several contemporary artists and began taking part in flat exhibitions. She became a member of the ‘Letopis’ (Chronicle) group led by Boris Koshelokhov. The group’s works, which clearly distanced themselves from the dogmas of Socialist Realism, were soon banned: in 1978, the group’s exhibition at the House of Folk Art was closed down. It was during these years that Elena Figurina’s artistic style developed. In 2000, she became a member of the Bessmertnykh Academy of Contemporary Art; she is also a member of the Experimental Fine Art Society. Elena Figurina is regarded as one of the most significant representatives of the Leningrad underground. She experienced the hardships and persecution that unofficial artists had to endure during the Brezhnev era. Her style is characterised by simplicity and naivety, yet at the same time by extraordinary depth and expressiveness. Her figures are genderless and ageless beings. They are archetypal and resemble one another. Their actions are simple and timeless, as archetypal as the figures themselves. They gather fruit, fish, tend cows and go for walks. They experience the eternal cycle of human life. To date, Elena Figurina has taken part in over 150 exhibitions at home and abroad. Her works are held in renowned collections worldwide, including the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art and the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg.