Gena Ivanov is a Russian fine artist who was born in Vladimir
into a military family and grew up in various places in the
former Soviet Union from Ussuriysk in the Far East and finally
settling in Belarus in the West. Gena began to draw at school
but at the time he was more interested in modern dance and
this took most of his energy.
After school Gena went into the army where he served for
two years as a military artist. Art now firmly in his soul,
he then rushed to art school and studied at Bobruisk Art School
where he graduated with distinction.
He began to work in a co-operative; it was the early '90s
and a time of extravagant prices, high inflation and empty
shops and spent his time painting landscapes. While the subject
matter was not always inspiring, it gave him a chance to perfect
his skills and experiment with new techniques. He took a residency
in a museum in Bobruisk and also later set up his own studio
supporting himself by painting pictures and working as an
interior designer.
In 2000 Gena was made a member of the Artists’ Union
of Belarus! In 2004 he decided the time had come to move to
England and he now owns a studio in the centre of Norwich,
which he also runs as a gallery.
"I have always found the male body inspiring and coming
to England has finally given me the freedom to paint in the
way I want to. I aspire to show the beauty of the male body,
the romanticism, the sexuality and its character.
"I can't imagine a life without painting! It is an integral
part of me and the way I express myself. My pictures are about
colour. Life can be grey at times and I want my work to stimulate
people and make them feel good. I can paint in many different
styles but my favourite is impressionistic. During my career
I have always been quite experimental trying different materials,
paints and painting techniques but my preferred medium has
got to be oil."
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