Shvetsov Petr

PETR SHVETSOV is a notable Russian contemporary artist born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1970. He is recognized for his expressive and often provocative works that span painting, graphics, installation, and sculpture. Shvetsov's art frequently explores themes of beauty, cultural identity, and the interplay between tradition and modernity.

Educated at the Leningrad Secondary Art School (now the St. Petersburg State Academic Art Lyceum), Shvetsov has been a member of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists since 1992. His career includes international residencies and exhibitions across Europe and the United States. Notably, he spent time working in England, Denmark, Finland, and the USA in the early 1990s, experiences that have influenced his artistic development .

One of his distinctive series, Swamps, delves into the etymological and visual essence of swamps, using deep black backgrounds to create a sense of depth and to highlight the subject matter. This series reflects his interest in combining traditional painting techniques with contemporary themes .

Shvetsov has also explored the relationship between food and culture. During a residency at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, he created the Tex-Mex series, which features paintings of Tex-Mex cuisine rendered in a style reminiscent of Dutch still lifes. These works comment on food consumerism and cultural identity .

His exhibitions often challenge viewers with their content and presentation. For instance, his show Portrait of the Unknown With the Tail and on High Heels featured paintings that blend classical techniques with contemporary and sometimes controversial subject matter, provoking strong emotional responses.

Shvetsov's work is represented by Marina Gisich Gallery in St. Petersburg, and his pieces are included in the collections of institutions like Russian National Library, New York Public Library, British Library, Sakson State Library (Dresden), The Russian Museum (St.Petersburg), City of Odense (Denmark), State Library (Berlin), Institute of Contemporary Russian Culture (Los Angeles), University of California Library (St. Barbara), The Lilly Library, University of Indiana at Bloomington, University of Iowa Library at Iowa City, Kohler Art, Library, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

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Primary solo exhibitions

2019

• TexMex, Carillon Gallery, Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, TX, USA
• Not what it seems, Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg

2018

• Nonfigurative Units, Gallery 15, Санкт-Петербург
• "Alter Idem", Petrikirche, St. Petersburg
• "Cannibal, sacrificing in sacred grove", with Alexander Shishkin-Hokusai, Academy of fine arts museum, St. Petersburg

2017

• "My first teacher. Leningrad school", Nаvicula Artis Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "Dwarfs-devourers of snakes at the museum", with Alexander Shishkin-Hokusai, Book graphic library, St. Petersburg

2016

• "The Advantages of Spiders" with Katya Granova, Lyuda Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "Untitled", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2014

• "Memorial Modeling", American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, Washington D.C., USA
• "New paintings", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2011

• "Event Horizon", Small Hall of the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege", 103 Griboyedov Canal Emb., St. Petersburg
• "Twilight State", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2010

• "The War of the Worlds", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "Tile", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2009

• "Apologia of Narcissism", Luda gallery, St. Petersburg
• Swamps, Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2008

• "The Poles of Sex", Main Street Museum, White River Junction, Vermont
• "The nightingale sings when he wants to", Open Space Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "Bird Haven", NOMI Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "The Women’s Question", "The village life" Gallery, St. Petersburg

2007

• "New Paintings. In the Badger’s Hole", Belka and Strelka Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "The Living and the Dead", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "The Fence", Navicula Artis Gallery, St. Petersburg

2006

• "Tsusima", State History Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg (in collaboration with the National Center of Contemporary Art and Navicula Artis Gallery)
• "52 Minutes", Gallery project "Neva Tower", St. Petersburg

2005

• "Head of an Architect", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg

2004

• Contemporary Art in Traditional Museums Festival, St. Petersburg
• "Drawings", "Mit’ki VKHUTEMAS" Gallery, St. Petersburg
• "Columbarium", State Geological Museum, St. Petersburg (as part of ProArte Institute’s "Contemporary Art in Traditional Museums" Festival)
• "Modern art in Petrograd, Leningrad, St. Petersburg. 20th century"? with the participation of NCCA and Navicula Artis Gallery
• "Shadow Spaces", State Hermitage Museum (in conjunction with the program "Contemporary art in Petrograd", Leningrad, Petersburg in the 20th Century)

2003

• "Airplanes", Navicula Artis Gallery, St. Petersburg

2002

• "Aeroplanes", Art Angar Center of Contemporary Art, Solovki, Russia
• "Avions", Le Garage, Lourges, France

2001

• "Abstract", British Council Russia, St. Petersburg

2000

• "Mixed Fights" (with M. Gavrichkov), National Centre Gallery, St. Petersburg

1995

• "Petr Shvetsov and Petr Bely", Odense University, Odense, Denmark

1994

• "Sherburne School", Sherburne, England

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Public exhibitions

2022

• Exhibition of the Non-State Non-Russian Museum, GROUND Solyanka, Moscow
• "Art gardens. Metamorphoses", Arkhangelskoye Museum and Manor, Moscow

2020

• More than Moscow, Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg

2019

• "Journey to the Big North in search of the Crater of the Other Rose using the LibreLuch compass", Kunsthalle nummer sieben, St. Petersburg

2018

• Casts, Russian Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg

2016

• "Advantages of spiders", Luda gallery, St. Petersburg

2015

• "We must cultivate our garden", Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg
• PAINTING BEYOND PAINTING. The Scientific Research Museum of Russian Academy of Arts

2014

• "Signal" Project, KB "Signal", St. Petersburg
• Memorial Modeling, Memorial Modeling, American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, Washington D.C., Washington D.C.
• The other capital. Museum of Moscow

2012

• ARCO Madrid, Spain

2011

• ARCO Madrid, Spain

2010

• "Black and White", Modernariat gallery, St. Petersburg

2008

• "Nord Art", Installation "Call Me and I’ll Do Whatever You Want", Rendsburg , Germany

2007

• "200 Years of Lithography", Russian State Museum, St. Petersburg
• Art Moscow, Moscow, Russia
• "Nord Art", Installation "My Grandmother Was Right", Rendsburg, Germany

2006

• Graphics Biennale, St. Petersburg Union of Artists, St. Petersburg
• "Improvisation", The international exhibition of drawings, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
• "New Prints 2006/Spring", Selected and Curated by Richard Tuttle, International Print Center New York, NY
• "Collage in Russia", Russian State Museum, St. Petersburg

2005

• "Black Boomer", Huuto Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
• "Collage in Russia", Russian State Museum, St. Petersburg
• "Forward/Backwards", Sevastopol State Art Museum, Ukraine

2004

• "Flights", Club on Brestkoi, Moscow
• "Art", Central Exhibition Hall "Manege", St. Petersburg
• Art Manezh 2004, Moscow

2003

• "Gardens of Paradise", Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg
• "Histoires Graves", Office de la Culture, Brignoles, France
• "Kharmsizdat Presents Artist’s Books", The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

2002

• "Art Brut Demobilization Albums", Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg
• "Black and White", Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
• "Sculpture and Recreation Garden", Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg
• First Graphics Biennale, St. Petersburg Union of Artists, St. Petersburg
• Boucherie d`Art, Galerie IZBA, Novyi Sad, Yugoslavia

2001

• "Desire and Pursuit of the Whole", Pro Arte Institute, St. Petersburg. Curated by Christopher Gordon

1997

• "BOOKCAMERA or The Book and the Elements", Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg
• Two Hundred Years of Lithography, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

1996

• "That is no country for old men", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
• Idaho State University at Boise, USA
• "Artgenda", Arts Festival of Baltic Countries as part of Copenhagen ‘s, Cultural Capital of Europe celebrations

1995

• "Book Garden", Manchester Royal Exchange, UK

1993

• Exhibition Hall of the Moskovsky district, St. Petersburg
• Petr Shvetsov and Peter Belyi, House of Culture of Food Workers, St. Petersburg

1992

• "Time of Transition", City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol and travelling; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; The Library Gallery, Ramsgate; Ceri Richards Gallery, University College, Swansea; Flaxman Gallery, Staffordshire Gallery, Stoke on Trent; Bankside Gallery, London; Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro

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Collections

• Kohler Art Library. University of Wisconsin at Madison
• University of California Library, St. Barbara
• Institute of Contemporary Russian Culture, Los Angeles
• University of Iowa Library at Iowa City
• The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
• National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg
• City of Odense, Denmark
• British Library
• Sakson State Library, Dresden
• State Library, Berlin
• New York Public Library
• The Lilly Library, University of Indiana at Bloomington

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Education

• Leningrad Secondary Art School (now St. Petersburg State Academic Art Lyceum named after Boris Ioganson).
• Member of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists since 1992.

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