Defining “Metaphysical Realism”

• How would you describe “Metaphysical Realism” in your art? What ideas or messages are most important for you to share through this approach?
• My fascination with metaphysical realism began around 10 years ago, at an early stage of my artistic career. I was impressed by the transcendent, strange, and unreal landscapes of Giorgio de Chirico. At the same time, I was reading extensively on philosophy, religion, and esotericism. Over time, I began experimenting, creating works in other styles, but the desire to transcend ordinary logic remained with me forever and sometimes manifests in my art.

Cultural and Artistic Influences

• How has studying art in Russia and later moving to the United States influenced the way you create and think about art?

It’s time to share in detail how my artistic style was formed and what significantly influenced it. I graduated from an art school, where, during my studies, I became a winner of an international children’s art competition. Like many of my classmates from art school, I went on to study at the Art and Graphic Faculty of BSPU in Ufa.

My first theoretical knowledge came from my instructor, Ryklin, who introduced me to the theory of color, color harmony, and the spectrum from a physics perspective. He explained how the color spectrum manifests under morning, daytime, and evening lighting.

The desire to become an artist pushed me to seek additional knowledge in the field of art. I spent countless hours in the Nesterov Library, where I became acquainted with the theory of reverse perspective in ancient Russian icon painting. I read works on the subject by the physicist Boris Rauschenbach. Undoubtedly, the unique style of ancient Russian painting with its reverse perspective strongly influenced my work. Over time, I began to exercise complete freedom in my approach to perspective, occasionally abandoning both classical and reverse perspectives entirely.

By chance, I met the People’s Artist Alexander Burzyantsev. It turned out that he was born in the same district as I was. He often hosted many visitors, holding gatherings funded by the earnings from his painting sales. At that time, I was a poor student, and he practically took me under his wing. He welcomed me into his family, gave me money, and prepared meals for me himself.

Most importantly, he profoundly influenced my creative development. I once brought one of my compositions to show him. He pointed out the weakest aspects of my work, explaining that my lines were dull and uninspired, and that my forms lacked creative reinterpretation. I am deeply grateful to fate

for arranging this meeting with such a talented artist, who ultimately helped me become the artist I am today.

After moving to the United States, I experienced changes, growth, and improvement in my technical skills. The opportunity to view artworks by artists from around the world through the internet expanded my knowledge of contemporary art. Undoubtedly, there are many talented artists with original visions who create new styles. They inspire me to pursue new creative endeavors, motivate me, and spark my imagination.

Synthesis Art Style

Your style blends abstraction, figurative elements, and different art movements like Cubism and Surrealism. How did you develop this unique “Synthesis Art Style,” and what makes it special to you?

• In many publications and interviews in art magazines and on websites in English, it’s often mentioned that I am the developer and founder of the Synthes Art Style. So, what is it?
• From the very beginning of my artistic career, my goal was to create a unique and original style in art, something that defines every true artist. I devoted a lot of time and effort to finding the approach that most accurately reflected my creative essence. Even in my youth, I had the idea of combining different styles within a single work of visual art. However, at that time, I lacked the technical skills to make such combinations organic. I eventually abandoned the idea, but it seems that my subconscious continued working on it beyond my awareness.
• Around ten years ago, I began to realize that my artworks no longer fit neatly into the confines of a single style. When uploading images of my paintings or drawings to websites that required me to select a style, I often found that my works could simultaneously be described as surrealism and cubism. That’s when I began to understand that I had created the new style I had dreamed of in my youth.
• However, to be fair, I must acknowledge that I am not the only artist who combines different styles. Yet, there was no formal name for this style, and only recently has this term started to appear online in English.
• Synthesis Art Style in contemporary art integrates elements of suprematism, surrealism, cubism, abstract, and figurative forms.