Dialogues with the artist: paintings and graphics of Kuzya Zverev

The exhibition presents the art pieces by the Narva painter Vladislav Kuznetsov (1961), known as ‘Kuzya Zverev’, which he has painted over the years. His masterpieces as well as his creative alias are built on contrast: through his simple and naïve images, he addresses complex philosophical issues and themes engaging a viewer with the thinking process. What is serving the Art? Where is the line between good and evil, strengths and weaknesses, talent and vice?

The exhibit reflects the several stages of Kuzya Zverev’s artistic development: from his dialogues with grand masters of gone epochs to the dialogues with environment, audience, himself, and his alter ego.

The exhibited art pieces are made in different techniques and styles, on wood, canvas, and paper. The variety of colours are complicated: from monochromic ones to colour explosions and the cacophony of shades. Kuzya Zverev’s works are alined either with short explanations or long texts such as verses, stories and proverbs. They sound differently like several people’s dialogues or dialogues the painter is eager to involve his audience in. Furthermore, the verbal part is just an introduction to his visual text describing his grotesque and multilevel artistic world.

Curator of exhibition is Maria Smorzhevskihh-Smirnova.