Society always notices people who create something unique. It is especially difficult to come up with something completely new in any developed field. This was succeeded by the famous Russian artist Nikolai Kopeikin, who managed not only to create a new direction in painting, but also to make his work relevant and topical. But first things first.
Author Biography
Nikolai Kopeikin was born in the Northern capital of Russia in 1966. However, in connection with a special worldview that pervades his work, the artist claims that his birth dates back to 06.02.1936 and happened in the city of Pukhtograd, and now he lives and creates in Porebrik-City.
Kopeikin's talent for drawing manifested itself in childhood. The boy could spend hours doing this. Two diplomas of higher education of the author have nothing to do with painting. The first artist received in 1990 after graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Belarusian State Pedagogical Institute, the second - four years later in the direction "Management".
Nothing has been said about where Nikolai Kopeikin studied creative activity. The artist does not have the appropriate education, but he has extraordinary abilities, inexhaustible imagination, as well as many new ideas embodied in his topical works.
In addition to painting, the author has many other interests and activities. So, Kopeikin has been collaborating with the music group “NOM” (“Informal Youth Association”) for more than 15 years. Another project of the artist is the creation of the creative association “KOLHUi” (stands for “Witchcraft Artists”), which has been operating since 2002.
The paintings of the painter became popular after he posted them on the Internet. The image of human vices resonated with millions of people, therefore, thanks to the so-called reposts (a function by which you can share the record with friends on social networks), the artist’s works are now known to a mass audience.
Pictures of the author
What canvases are the artist Nikolai Kopeikin famous for? All the paintings of the author are painted in the style of cartoon realism, invented by the painter himself.
The stylistic works resemble Soviet propaganda posters, absurd folklore, as well as illustrations from children's books.
Kopeikin lives and works in the Northern capital of the Russian Federation, so most of his works are connected with this city. An example is the whole cycle - “Elephants of St. Petersburg”. The artist developed a myth about how other elephants came from the first such animal brought to the city during the reign of Peter I, which gradually became humanized and became plumbers. From too long a life next to people, these giants adopted far from the best qualities of the human race, which is embodied in the paintings.
The painter loves to make fun of the bad sides of human nature. To do this, he uses the images of famous domestic and foreign cartoon characters and comic book characters. So, the author combined in his work “Superbogatyrs” the famous picture of Vasnetsov with the images of Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. Thus, Kopeikin wanted to depict the ideal of real heroes that has changed in modern people.
Another painting illustrating human vices is The Ship Rat. On the canvas are three astronauts. Two of them are sleeping, and the third is eating common foods at this time.
The work “Into the Smoke” depicts a person’s departure from reality into prostration and the world of illusions when intoxicated.
Exhibitions
Not only in Russia is Nikolai Kopeikin popular. The artist’s paintings were exhibited more than 30 times in collaboration with other authors and 15 times in the format of personal expositions both at various venues in our country and in the largest cities of Europe: London, Amsterdam, Geneva and others.
Other activities
As already mentioned above, Nikolai Kopeikin is engaged not only in painting. With the participation of A. Kagadeev, he made many feature films: Belorussian Story, Apiary, Geopolyps, The Brown Age of Russian Literature, etc. His directorial talent was recognized by the jury of various film festivals (Kinoshok, Rotterdam IFF, etc.).
In addition, the artist is the author of a huge number of postcards and posters made in the style of his beloved multrealism.
Worldview
Nikolai Kopeikin once said in an interview about how he sees the role of the creator in Russia. According to the artist, in European countries, artists are treated as representatives of the upper class, they are perceived sublimely. In our country, creativity is treated as something radical, sometimes even revolutionary, and therefore its value is increasing.
Nikolai Kopeikin claims that he did not come up with anything new in painting. Pictures are simply a means of expressing thoughts. His cartoons, as his works are often called, would not be relevant to multrealism if there were no painting in them. And if it is, then this direction of art lives and develops.