FINE ART GALLERY presents the first solo exhibition in Russia of Belarusian artist Yevgeny Shadko.
The picturesque and melancholic works of the artist have already formed the basis for more than five solo and thirteen group exhibitions in Belarus, Poland, Italy, and the USA. At home, Yevgeny Shadko is represented by DK Gallery.
Shadko received his professional education at the Minsk Art College named after A. Glebov and at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (Poland), but already at the beginning of his career he devoted himself to elaborating his own artistic language. Shadko's language is based on a feeling of lightness, which he achieves with the help of pastel shades, relaxed poses and large flowing brushstrokes.
The artist comments on the process of his work: “For me, contemporary painting is a balance of lightness, depth and compassion. I often scroll through Instagram, find something interesting, and take screenshots. I can make a sketch of the figure or the story I like, then I refine the draft and just leave it in my head. I use Photoshop to find composition or color solutions, leave it for a while, after a week I add something else. I am waiting for the picture to become complete and result in a work that I want to create. In the process, things can change many times. To wean myself of the fear of spoiling everything, I prefer starting to create a work on three or four canvases simultaneously. This is my search field.”
Shadko's personal project could not do without portraits. Interest in portraying the inner state of a person (no matter if it concerns a stranger or a celebrity) is the core of his artistic universe. A vivid example of such a portrait was the expressive image of the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (the work “Untitled” was sold at the Vladey auction in 2020). The plastic and pictorial features of the artist's work – a large dynamic brushstroke, lack of documentary accuracy, bold use of color – allow him to delicately, but impressively at the same time speak out on political topics. This motif is present in Shadko's works, because of his choice not to hide what he really cares about, he is always truly honest. Despite this, the most important thing in the end is the painting itself, and ordinary people – their faces, characters, states are the main focus of his work.
FINE ART GALLERY has worked primarily with traditional media since the 1990s and has always supported young contemporary artists. Yevgeny Shadko was no exception.
Open Studios
Free of Charge 
Starts at 10:00 