Arsen Kurbanov / Арсен Курбанов, 1969

Aрсен Курбанов was born in Mahachkala, Dagestan republic of Dagestan, in the USSR. His mother and father were artists as is his brother.

In 1988 he completed coursework at the Jamal Dagestan Art College, receiving a red diploma - a symbol of scholastic excellence. Kurbanov was immediately accepted into the Repin Institute in St. Petersburg, where he studied with the late Neprintsov, graduating in 1994.

After graduating in 1994, Kurbanov exhibited his final artwork to the graduation committee and was accepted into the "Union of Russian Artists".

Kurbanov strives to combine the techniques of the old masters - Pieter de Hooch and Vermeer are two of his favorites - with a contemporary, personal sense of imagery.

Biblical and historical references appear alongside modern elements in his paintings, often producing an atmosphere of mystery. Portraiture commands a prominent position in his work.

His portraits are intended to be compositions in their own right, in addition to presenting precise, almost photographic likenesses of the sitters.

Since graduation, Kurbanov has been painting in Russia and abroad. He has participated in Artists’ Union exhibitions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Makhachkala.

His work has also been exhibited in Germany, the United States, China, Holland, Norway and Finland.

In 1997 he won the exhibition/competition My Russia…My World, at the United Nations information center in Moscow. Kurbanov currently lives in St. Petersburg and paints full time.

Since 2008, in addition to creating his own work, Arsen has been teaching in the easel painting department at the I.E. Repin Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"- I consider myself a happy person. Probably because I achieved a certain skill in the profession of an artist and I can share my experience with those who need it, for example, with my students.

I live in painting, my mood and attitude to life flows into pictures. and to the surrounding world.I am an adherent of realism, but not a simple image of the surrounding world, but a little idealized, blurring the line between reality and fantasy artist like in my works to reflect not only the portrait resemblance to people, but also to understand their inner world.

I dream that in our country, fine arts will become an important aspect in the life of any citizen. Then, perhaps, art and culture will save Russia from chaos. There should be a place in life for beauty, kindness, love, and not for their substituted concepts" - Kurbanov said.

Arsen Kurbanov è nato a Makhachkala, Repubblica del Daghestan, in URSS. Sua madre, Galina Vasilevna Pshenitsina, e suo padre, Khairullah Magomedovich Kurbanov, furono artisti come lo è suo fratello. Nel 1988, Kurbanov completò i suoi studi presso il College di Arte Daghestan Jamal, ricevendo un diploma d’eccellenza scolastica.

Fu subito accettato in una delle accademie d’arte più prestigiose del mondo – l’Istituto Repin dell’Accademia d’arte di San Pietroburgo. Dopo la laurea nel 1994, Kurbanov presentò i suoi lavori per la commissione di laurea e fu accettato nella “Unione degli artisti russi”.

Kurbanov combina le tecniche dei vecchi maestri -soprattutto Pieter de Hooch e Vermeer- con un contemporaneo e personale senso dell’immaginario.

Nei suoi dipinti appaiono riferimenti biblici e storici accanto a elementi moderni, introducendo una sensazione di mistero. Mentre i ritratti di Kurbanov rappresentano precisi, quasi fotografici.

Dopo il diploma, Kurbanov ha dipinto in Russia e all’estero. Ha partecipato a mostre dell’Unione degli artisti di Mosca, San Pietroburgo e Makhachkala. Sue opere sono state esposte anche in Germania, Stati Uniti, Cina, Olanda, Norvegia e Finlandia.

Kurbanov adesso vive a San Pietroburgo e dipinge a tempo pieno.