The artistic couple from St. Petersburg live and work in Toronto. They belong to a small group of artists who have managed not only to merge academic training with current topics and narratives, but also to prove that an academic painter is able to think like a contemporary artist. By moving to Canada and changing their artistic environment, they broke off their relationship with the Russian tradition of representation that was front and center in their previous works. While Gretsky and Katz used to compulsively demonstrate the entire range of their abilities with the practiced skill of professional painters, a flexible self-restraint in their new surroundings has benefited this new series of works.
More detailsAwards
2019
- #28 TOP 100 Recognized authors, InArt.ru, Russia
2013
- The Kingston Prize, Finalist, Canada
2012
- The Kress Project Winner, Kress Foundation and the Georgia Museum of Art, U.S.A.
2010
- Sobey Art Award Nominee, Canada
- Innovation, The State Award in the sphere of Contemporary Art, Nominee (art project “Rebrand Rembrandt”), Moscow, Russia
- Kandinsky Prize Long List Nominee, Moscow, Russia
2009
- Kandinsky Prize Long List Nominee, Moscow, Russia
2000
- Laureate of the lV All-Russian competition of copyright programs.
1998
- Grant from the Pollok-Krasner Foundation, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Primary solo exhibitions
2018
- "House for Sale", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg Russia
- "Terracotta Worriers", Gallery of Contemporary Art, State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, Russia
2017
- "Living Space", "Ekaterina" Cultural Foundation, Moscow, Russia
2015
- "Habitat", Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia
- "Thereafter", Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art, New York, USA
2013
- "Terracotta Worriers", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg Russia
2012
- "Borderline", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg Russia
2011
- "Terracotta Worriers", Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
- "Magda&Lena", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg Russia
2007
- "Rebrand Rembrandt", Artville Academy, Toronto, Canada
1998
- "Signs", The State F. Dostoevsky Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
- "Signs", the PRIN Art-center, St. Petersburg, Russia
1997
- "Highway 787", The State A. Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
- "Gandvana", Nevsky Gallery, N.Y., U.S.A.
- "Crossroad", The Benois Family Museum at Peterhof State Museum Preserve, Peterhof, Russia
1996
- "Work shift. Meat Factory", Gallery Pont Neuf (Md. Chirac Association), Paris, France
1993
- Objects, Vresse Sur Semois Municipal Cultural Center, Belgium
Public exhibitions
2020
- Realismo: Pasado y presente. Arte y verdad. The State Russian Museum in Malaga, Spain
2018
- Russische Kunst Heute, Osthause Museum, Hagen, Germany
- Karl Marx forever? The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Russia. Realism. XXI Century, Contemporary Art Gallery GMII RT, Kazan, Russia
2015
- Russia, Realism. XXI Century, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
- New Acquisitions. 1998-2014, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
2014
- Crystallization, Marina Gisich Gallery and Waino Aaltonen Museum of Art (Turku, Finland)
- Eroticism, Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art, New York, N.Y.
- The Kingston Prize, 2013 Finalist Exhibition, Calgary, Canada
- The Kingston Prize, 2013 Finalist Exhibition, Kingston, Canada
2013
- Realism. Photorealism. Surrealism, Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art, New York, N.Y.
- Transformations, Alexander Gertsman Gallery, New York, USA
2012
- 80 years of Artists Union, The House of St. Petersburg Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Those who hear not the music think the dancers mad, Ural Vision Gallery, Ekaterinburg, Russia
2011
- Colarth Collection, Montreal, Canada
2010
- Kandinsky Award 2010, Long List Nominee, Central House of Artist, Moscow, Russia
- Gallery Moos at The Burroughs Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2009
- Kandinsky Award 2009, Long List Nominee, Central House of Artist, Moscow, Russia
- 24 International Exhibition, Fine Arts Center, New Jersey, USA
2003
- Peterburg-02, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
2002
- 70 years of Artists Union, The House of St. Petersburg Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia
2000
- The Wonderful Seven, C.A.S.E. Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Jersey City, New Jersey& Grant Gallery, New York, NY, USA.
- Young Russia, Grant Gallery, New York, NY, USA
- Peterburg-99, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
- 20 Years of C.E.S.E. Museum, C.E.S.E. Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Jersey City, USA
1999
- Peterburg-98, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
1998
- The children of Perestroika, Zalman Gallery, New York Gallery Building
- Unknown Russia, Juried Show, C.E.S.E. Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Jersey City, USA
- Contemporary Russian Vanguard 1958-1998, Exhibition Center, N. Novgorod, Russia
- From Moscow…, Juried Show, ArtCollegiya Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
1997
- Peterburg-96, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
1996
- Contemporary Art Festival, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
1995
- Dialogs 2, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
1993
- Peterburg-92, The Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
- The Group Sgraffito Show, Glassin Gallery, Belgium
1991
- The Group Sgraffito Show, The House of International Friendship, St. Petersburg, Russia
1989
- Art Group
Collections
- The State Russian Museum, St-Petersburg, Russia
- The Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia
- Colart Collection, Montreal, Canada
- Erarta, Museum of Contemporary Art, St-Petersburg, Russia
- C.A.S.E. Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Jersey City, U.S.A.
- The Benois Family Museum at Peterhof State Museum Preserve, Peterhof, Russia
- The State Modest M. Musorgsky Museum, Russia
- The Museum Of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Russia
Education
1998
- Leningrad Art School named after V. Serov, painting and pedagogical department
- St. Petersburg Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin (Workshop of easel graphics of V.A.Vetrogonsky, workshop of book graphics of A.A.Pakhomov)