Alexei Butirskiy, 1974 | Symbolist cityscape painter

Born in Moscow, Russian painter Алексей Бутырский entered Moscow Art College in 1992. In 1996 he completed his studies at the Art College and graduated with an Excellence Diploma. In 1998 he graduated from the Russian Academy of the Arts where he studied under respected professor, L.S. Hasyanova.

He graduated from the Academy with the highest honors attainable. Alexei currently serves as Professor of Drawing at the same academy. Since 1996, Butirskiy has participated in over 100 exhibitions. In the fall of 2007, Alexei was invited to exhibit his work at the prestigious Il Vittoriano in the Piazza Venezia, Rome, Italy. Built in 1911 to honor the unknown soldier, Il Vittoriano has been the site of many important art exhibitions honoring Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Monet, Manet, Degas and many more. Alexei's paintings portray the world around him in truthful and unglorified terms.

A sense of tranquility is conveyed in each of his paintings. They are typically without action or conviviality, and most are uncannily still, with only light, space, shadows and color offering dialog. The power and intensity of the relationship between light and dark are the profound forces of his work. The sophisticated application of light effects with color reinforce the majesty of his compositions.
Butirskiy's paintings are reminiscent of the works of Claude de Lorriane and Caravaggio with their luminescent qualities and skillful variations of light and dark. As with the Impressionists, the light in Alexei's paintings is not unique, and multiple effects emerge as we look at them conscientiously.

His symbolism is magical, and his appeal to the senses intense. In certain paintings, we can almost feel the freezing air burning the nostrils; the windows lit up, conveying the feeling of warmth; a silent, soft world is created. He allows us to observe it in a unique way, some from the rooftops, thus enabling an unobstructed view of his world. Alexei's work is proudly exhibited in galleries and private collections throughout France, England, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, The Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Russia and the United States. Certainly Alexei shares with us his emotions, his vision of life, in magnificent views of cities, countrysides, homes, and canals with a vitality that only a few great artists have been able to achieve. Alexei is an intellectual in many ways and embraces all aspects of the arts and literature.