Firsov Alexey

Alexey Firsov is a Russian artist, born in 1966. In his abstract paintings, he uses the impasto technique — three-dimensional broad strokes freely swirl and curl, as if they are in the process of growing on canvas, like trees, flowers and grasses in the forest.

The artist works exclusively outdoors (plein air). He tries to get as far away from civilization as possible and draws strong inspiration and energy from the wild. He is looking for natural objects with a powerful, mature and expressive character, because he believes that wild and untouched nature has more harmony than the man-made world.

Over the past two decades Firsov has created his own artistic style – "lavism" – based on passionate dynamic brushstrokes, explosive colors and bold thick texture of paint. The artist's paintings are filled with powerful energy, which he conveys through rapid, almost impulsive brushstrokes and contrasting color combinations. The name "lavism" is symbolic and metaphorical. It associates painting with the natural element — lava, a red-hot mass flowing down from the top of a volcano, solidifying and forming unique natural landscapes. Just as lava creates new reliefs, painting in this style turns into a dynamic, almost sculptural process of forming an artistic image. The secret of texture lies in the paint itself and its creation. Lava is the name given by representatives of the field to the material they work with.

"The first impulse for the appearance of lavism was the frescoes in the Church of the Assumption on the Volotovo Field near Novgorod. Now this church is being restored. But many years ago, in the photographs from there, I saw the broken remains of frescoes, the influx of lime. The clumps of these smudges lay on the fragments in such a way that, in fact, they were abstract works. These frescoes were painted in 1395, and it seemed to me that this was the first burst of expressionism. Familiarity with these works led me to the idea of finding a new paint composition that would restore that ancient technique as much as possible."

Alexey Firsov, artist

PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS:

2023 — Cer Modern Museum of Modern Art, Ankara, Turkey
2022 — GaleryArtist, Istanbul, Turkey
2018 — ArtHill Gallery, London, UK
2015 — The State Museum of Art named after Kasteeva, Almaty, Kazakhstan
2014 — Riflemaker gallery, London, United Kingdom
2014 — Art Stage Singapore, Singapore
2013 — Art Basel Fair, Basel, Switzerland
2013 — Art Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco

SELECTED AUCTIONS:

2019 — Sotheby’s London
2019 — Christie’s London
2018 — Sotheby’s London
2016 — PILLIPS New York
2015 — PILLIPS New York