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Gena Ivanov was born in Vladimir into a military family and spent his childhood in airbases in the far east of Russia and Belarus.
He began to draw at school but at that time he was more interested in modern dance and this took most of his energies. At 18 Gena went into the Soviet Army to do his national service and served for two years as a military artist. Art now firmly in his soul he rushed to art school and studied at Bobruisk Art School where he graduated with a distinction. From there he worked in a co-operative, it was the early 90’s and a time of extravagant prices, high inflation and empty shops.
He began to draw at school but at that time he was more interested in modern dance and this took most of his energies. At 18 Gena went into the Soviet Army to do his national service and served for two years as a military artist. Art now firmly in his soul he rushed to art school and studied at Bobruisk Art School where he graduated with a distinction. From there he worked in a co-operative, it was the early 90’s and a time of extravagant prices, high inflation and empty shops. |
He spent his time painting landscapes, while sometimes the subjects were not inspiring for him it gave him the chance to perfect his skills and to experiment with new techniques.
Between 1995 and 2000 Gena was the resident artist at a local museum and during that time he built up his studio work and his reputation and in 2000 after election to the Artist’s Union in Belarus he left to work for himself painting pictures designing interiors for local restaurants.
In 2004 Gena came to work in England and now lives and works in Norwich.
“I have always found the male body inspiring and coming to England has given me the freedom to paint in the way I want. I aspire to show the beauty of the male body and the romanticism, the sentimentality and the character. My pictures are about colour, life can be quite grey and I want my pictures to make people feel good. I like to work in different styles, particularly in the impressionist style and I prefer to work big. I have always been quite experimental trying different materials, paints and painting techniques but the medium I prefer is oil painting.”
Gena has won many exhibition and his work has been exhibited in Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Holland, France and in the UK – Norwich and London. |
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