Kopeikin's paintings in high quality. Nikolay Kopeikin – multirealist artist

Society always notices people who create something unique. It is especially difficult to come up with something completely new in any developed field. The famous one succeeded Russian artist Nikolai Kopeikin, who managed not only to create a new direction in painting, but also to make his works relevant and topical. But first things first.

Author biography

Nikolai Kopeikin was born in Northern capital Russia in 1966. However, due to the special worldview that permeates his work, the artist claims that his birth dates back to 02/06/1936 and occurred in the city of Pukhtograd, and now he lives and works in Porebrik City.

Kopeikin's talent for drawing appeared in childhood. The boy could spend hours doing this activity. The author's two higher education diplomas have nothing to do with painting. The first artist received in 1990 after graduating from the faculty foreign languages BSPI, the second - four years later in the direction of "Management".

Nothing has been said yet about where he studied creative activity Nikolai Kopeikin. The artist does not have the appropriate education, but he has extraordinary abilities, inexhaustible imagination, as well as many new ideas embodied in his topical works.

In addition to painting, the author has many other interests and activities. Thus, Kopeikin has been collaborating with music group“NOM” (“Informal Youth Association”). Another project of the artist is the creation creative association"KOLKHUI" (stands for "Witchcraft Artists"), which has been operating since 2002.

Author's paintings

What kind of paintings is the artist Nikolai Kopeikin known for? All the author’s paintings are painted in the style of cartoon realism, invented by the painter himself.

The works are stylistically reminiscent of Soviet absurdist folklore, as well as illustrations from children's books.

Kopeikin lives and works in the Northern capital of the Russian Federation, so most of his works are associated with this city. An example is the whole cycle - “Elephants of St. Petersburg”. The artist developed a myth about how other elephants evolved from the first such animal, brought to the city during the reign of Peter I, who gradually became humanized and became plumbers. From living too long next to people, these giants have adopted far from best qualities of the human race, which is embodied in the paintings.

The painter loves to make fun of the bad sides of human nature. To do this, he uses images of famous domestic and foreign cartoon characters and comic book characters. Thus, the author combined in his work “Superheroes” famous painting Vasnetsov with the images of Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. Thus, Kopeikin wanted to portray the changed modern people the ideal of real heroes.

Another picture illustrating human vices, - “Ship Rat”. The canvas depicts three astronauts. Two of them are sleeping, and the third is eating common foods at this time.

The work “Into the Smoke” depicts a person’s departure from reality into prostration and the world of illusions while intoxicated.

Exhibitions

Nikolai Kopeikin is popular not only in Russia. The artist’s paintings have been exhibited more than 30 times together with other authors and 15 times in the format of personal exhibitions both at various venues in our country and in largest cities Europe: London, Amsterdam, Geneva and others.

Other activities

As mentioned above, Nikolai Kopeikin does not only paint. He, with the participation of A. Kagadeev, filmed many art films: “Belarusian true story”, “Apiary”, “Geopolips”, “The Brown Age of Russian Literature”, etc. His directorial talent was recognized by the jury of various film festivals (Kinoshock, Rotterdam IFF, etc.).

Worldview

Nikolai Kopeikin once said in an interview about how he sees the role of the creator in Russia. According to the artist, in European countries Artists are treated as representatives of the upper class, they are perceived sublimely. In our country, creativity is treated as something radical, sometimes even revolutionary, and therefore its value increases.

Nikolai Kopeikin claims that he did not come up with anything new in painting. Paintings are simply a means of expressing thoughts. His cartoons, as his works are often called, would not be considered multirealism if they did not contain painting. And since it exists, then this direction art lives and develops.

Paintings by St. Petersburg artist Nikolai Kopeikin - continued artistic tradition, founded in the 80s by the famous “Mitkas”. A strange mixture of pure, formally artistic humor, Soviet retro and cheerful St. Petersburg misanthropy. Kopeikin’s works are scattered across the expanses of LiveJournal, disassembled into avatars and prints for T-shirts. Kopeikin’s work is especially attractive to those who visited the USSR, admirers of the writer Grishkovets and simply lovers of ironic retro. And so - to everyone. ( Login to clear the page.)

Work examples

Kopeikin's favorite subjects of inspiration were children's book classics, Soviet posters and absurdist Soviet folklore. For example, the ironic-patriotic phrase “Russia is the homeland of elephants” was converted into the whole cycle “Elephants of St. Petersburg.” According to Kopeikin’s personal mythology, from the first elephant brought to the city during the time of Peter I, a line of Russified and humanized elephants descended. By now, the elephants have evolved to elephant-people, elephant-sapiens, and work as plumbers in the hero city. The paintings in the cycle are dedicated to the variants of this post-elephant fate.

The sentimental Danish storyteller also received attention from Nicholas - the memory of Andersen G.H. he honored with his own version of the fairy tale " ugly duck" Scan of the book - in LiveJournal iwintermutei.

Kopeikin also has an “epochal” piece in the spirit of Ilya Glazunov - “War of the Worlds” - a monumental battle panel about the battle of foreign and domestic cartoons.

As well as countless banter pictures of domestic reasoning and current media characters.

Biography

More official sources call Kopeikin’s birth year 1966, his place of birth is the city of Belgorod, and his current home is St. Petersburg (the city of curbs, chickens and buckwheat). In addition, it is reliably known that N. Kopeikin has two higher education, or at least one completed and one unfinished. Artistic education is not included in the list. Served in the army in the GDR. He is one of the founders of the artistic sect “Witchcraft Artists” (“Kolkhui”) and a permanent member of the musical group “Informal Association of Youth” (“NOM”).

One of the founders of the film studio "NOMFILM". In collaboration with A. Kagadeev, he directed the feature films “Apiary”, “Geopolips”, “Belarusian True Story”, “Fantômas Takes Off the Mask”, “The Brown Age of Russian Literature”. Participant and laureate of a number of domestic and international film festivals (Moscow Film Festival “Styk”, Rotterdam IFF, Kinoshock - 2008, etc.). Kopeikin is the author of many posters and postcards. Author of "Books for Children" old age»,
publishing house "Bydlo", 2004

The artist posts his works on

Nikolay Kopeikin Gallery

Nikolay Kopeikin for a long time happily lived in the underground. True, it was a special, current, St. Petersburg underground. Without the past, Soviet ideological filling, he, of course, lost in the heroic, but gained in the everyday: it’s still a wonderful thing for an artist to live in harmony with himself, untethered, naturally, without chasing grants, spitting on the establishment. Moreover, the current underground has been left alone: ​​Prigov’s Militsaner, personifying state control, is dozing at his post (if anyone wakes up and threatens with a zugunder, it’s from Moscow, advanced, very smart). It was from this happy underground Dolce Vita that Kopeikin planned his escape. For what?

Nikolai Kopeikin is a St. Petersburg artist. Born in 1966.

Since 1999 he has been collaborating with musical group NOM. One of the founders of the film studio "NOMFILM". In collaboration with A. Kagadeev, he directed the feature films “Apiary”, “Geopolips”, “Belarusian Reality”, “Fantômas Takes Off the Mask”, “The Brown Age of Russian Literature”.

Participant and laureate of a number of domestic and international film festivals (Moscow Film Festival "Styk", Rotterdam IFF, Kinoshock-2008 and so on). Author of many posters and postcards. Author of "Books for Old Children", publishing house "Bydlo", 2004.

One of the founders of the creative association "Art Sect "KOLKHUI""

Participation in exhibitions:

1. Other fish. 1998, Spartak Cinema Center, St. Petersburg. Graphics, painting, objects.

2. Swan, crayfish and pike. 1999, Gallery "Red Chambers", Moscow. Graphics, painting.

4. Annual exhibition "Petersburg" 2000-2009. showroom"Manege". Saint Petersburg.

5. Christmas exhibition. Cave. 2001-2002 Anna Akhmatova Museum. Saint Petersburg. Graphics, painting.

6. Christmas exhibition. City. 2002-2003, Anna Akhmatova Museum. Saint Petersburg. Painting.

7. New Russian Biedermeier. 2002 Exhibition Hall of the House of Art. Schwandorf. Graphics, painting, objects.

8. Biedermeier - art with a human face. 2002 Gallery "Borey". Saint Petersburg. Graphics, painting, objects.

9. Creativity of artists of St. Petersburg. 2002 Ghent Cultural Center. Graphics, painting.

10. Creativity of rock artists and musicians. 2002 Exhibition hall "Manege". Saint Petersburg. Graphic arts.

11. International festival performance and installation. 2002-2005 Exhibition hall "Manege". Saint Petersburg. Installation, mixed media.

12. St. Petersburg 2002-2009 Exhibition hall "Manege". Saint Petersburg. Painting, installations.

13. Oh my. 2003 Cultural center "Pushkinskaya 10", St. Petersburg. Graphic arts.

14. Memorable places St. Petersburg. 2003, Anna Akhmatova Museum. St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl Graphics.

15. "ChMO. Man, Magic, Society", 2004, Gallery "Borey", St. Petersburg.

16. "ChMO. Man, Magic, Society", 2004, Gallery "L", Moscow.

17. To the 100th anniversary of Daniil Kharms. 2005, Goda Gallery, Amsterdam.

18. Festival exhibition for the anniversary of D. Kharms. 2005-2006 Cultural Center, Rotterdam.

19. Memorable places of St. Petersburg. 2006 Yaroslavsky Art Museum. Graphic arts.

20. "Scrap exhibition" 2004. Gallery "Ruine". Geneva.

21. "Almost abstract", 2004. Expansionist Art Empire Gallery. Leiden.

22. "RAIN", 2004 ABCTREEHOUSE GALLERY, Amsterdam.

24. "Scrap exhibition-2", 2006. Gallery "Ruine", Geneva.

25. "KOLHUI in Geneva", 2007 Gallery "Samovar", Geneva.

26. "To the 200th anniversary of N.V. Gogol", 2009 Paris, Residence of the Russian Ambassador to France.

Personal exhibitions:

1. Vinaigrette with vegetable oil. 1997 Central house artist. Moscow. Graphics, painting.

2. For life. 1998, Spartak Cinema Center. Saint Petersburg. Graphics, painting.

3. “14 paintings”, 1999, “On Liteiny”. Saint Petersburg.

4. Happiness on a string. 2001 Gallery "Borey". Saint Petersburg. Graphics, painting

5. About 200 traveling exhibitions in European countries. 2002-2008 Cultural centers, galleries. Graphics, painting.

6. “Just a crowbar”, 2005, Grand Palace, St. Petersburg Painting.

7. "No name", 2006. Expansionist Art Empire Gallery. Leiden.

8. "Elephants of St. Petersburg", 2008, gallery "Borey", St. Petersburg.

Painting

9. "BG, GB and NTP" 2008-2009, gallery D137, St. Petersburg. Painting.

10. "Painting", 2009, Central Exhibition Hall "Manege". Saint Petersburg.

Works are stored in museums, galleries and private collections in Russia, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and Japan.

Until recently, Russian artist Nikolai Kopeikin happily lived in the underground art scene and did not organize his exhibitions in Moscow. Today this man's name is associated with contemporary art at its best.

Most likely, when you visit Moscow restaurants, you will not find paintings by this author hanging on the wall. But this is explained simply - Nikolai Kopeikin still believes that art should be considered as pure creativity, which has no place in the utilitarian part of modern life.

The basis of creativity

The artist's creativity is completely subordinated real world, which surrounds the author. The name of Kopeikin is associated with the emergence of a new direction in painting and sculpture - multirealism. The essence of the movement is to demonstrate art “as it is.” The slogan of this direction was the truth: “I draw as best I can.”

According to the artist himself, the content, idea and message should be higher than the wrapper and the form in which the thought is presented. That is why it doesn’t matter how the work is performed, what matters is what it tells. Nikolai’s works are built on this principle. Most of his paintings and installations are full of ironic content on current political or social topics. By raising important issues, the artist seeks to express himself and his time. The result is polemical works, with a dose of sarcasm and controversial issues.

Today Kopeikin shares his passion for drawing and creating with his directing activities. Under his auspices, the films “Apiary” (2002), “Fantômas Takes Off the Mask” (2007), and “Star Wars” (2011) were created. The author plans to create for a long time, shocking the public with emotional works and causing a strong public reaction.

Nikolay Kopeikin paintings