About me:

was born in Soviet Russia in 1966 in a small village.
Until I was ready to go to the first grade my mother used to dress me as
a boy, called me Alen and gave me short haircuts every month. I still don't
know what got into her since I never had great connection with my mother.
Needless to say that I was pretty sure myself that I was a boy - I played
only with boys, had crushes on girls, talked boys talk and walked boys walk.
When I had to wear school girls uniform on the first day of School my
confusion hit the fan - I had my first epileptic seizure. Since then I suffer
from lost identity or you can call it multiple personality, but on some way
it helps me to see things differently - from male & female perspective I hope.
My family moved from place to place so I never had a chance to gain any close friends. Books, pencils and notebooks became my best friends.
I went trough short hard abusive childhood and left my family at the age of 15th
as soon as I finished 8th grade and was free to go anywhere I wanted.
I studied art in Saratov's Art School working as an artists model at the same
time for living. When I turned 18th I enrolled in Saratov's University of the
Chernyshvsky with Literature and Liberal Art major. I was actually dismissed
for political reasons at the final year and accepted as a political refugee by
United States in 1990. September 28 1991 exactly on my Birthday I entered
United States of America. It was super hot that day in Wichita Kansas, I did not
speak any English ( I studied German in Russia) and had "lucky" 50 cents in
my pocket. No matter what I had to do to survive here I never gave up painting
and writing. In 2001 I went to PRATT to study Graphic Design and Art.
My latest art works more are a statements then just a pretty pictures.
I believe that Art is another kind poetry or prose - it have to talk to people, it have to
say something important, sometimes it even have to scream in your face in outrage.
Some English man said that " russians wear their hearts on their sleeves, say
exactly what's on their minds and move from love to hate and back again at the
drop of a hat" - and he got it so right!
Same with my art - it's honest. I paint what I feel.

Exhibit change by:

on a whim

I'm passionate about:

war, children, animals, global warming,
and more