Artist Anton Arkhipov

"One of my first memories is of my very small hand mimicking the movements and brush strokes of a much larger and more experienced hand. From the age of three I grew up in my father’s studio painting. He trained my eye to see color, my hands to draw figures and my spirit to create my own vision. From a young age, I attended one of the most prestigious art schools in the world which built the foundation for a successful career later on. I began showing my paintings in several exhibitions in Moscow, and when I was 26 years old, a European art agent discovered me and I had my first one-man exhibition in Barcelona, Spain.

 In 1990, I visited New York without any plans to stay but ended up living in Manhattan for a year and a half as my career in America began to develop and expand. I eventually moved to the West Coast and began establishing myself and my art in a growing number of galleries. From the time I started my training in my father’s studio, I understood that art is my way of communicating with the world and my therapy in dealing with the trials of life; and as a result, I have been fortunate enough to earn a living painting everyday. As the child of a very old artistic family, I strictly adhere to the values taught to me. Foremost of those values has been to be honest with myself and never to compromise as an artist. I try to paint as a child does, with nothing to prove and with effortless and honest beauty. I do not dissect or analyze or judge what I paint nor do I belong to any type of artistic movement. Furthermore, I do not view my art as a collection of individual paintings and sculptures but rather as a single piece of art yet to be finished; and time will judge my efforts, hopefully by human values instead of just artistic values because, in the end, my art defines my life as a human being and not simply as an artist. My pieces have always reflected the emotions and spirit of my life and as of today, I can be bold enough to say that I am shamelessly happy in both my professional and personal life as one can surmise. For the past ten years, I have lived with my three dogs, two cats and beautiful wife who endlessly support me in every endeavor. I paint in a studio which I have filled with all kinds of books, music and antiques where time has its own realm and the canvas is my conscience just as it was in the studio where I followed my father’s hand. I consider it my shrine and spiritual retreat where I refine my art and myself to be a valuable contribution to our world."  - Anton Arkhipov