In 1991, the artist purchased a house in the village of Peremilovo not far from Moscow. He was literally enchanted by the magic of Russian rural life. He created a whole series of paintings, “Village Peremilovo”, which are inspired by the locals and their reality. At first, the Peremilovans couldn’t understand why the artist was painting “drunk men and fat women” instead of pretty flowers. But when they learned that Lyubarov’s works were exhibited in Moscow and even overseas, they stopped complaining.
Lyubarov’s characters look up at the stars, hug their wives, get their housework done, and celebrate with the whole village, oftentimes without any reason.
The artist himself confesses that Russian national lubok (a Russian popular print) is a deep well of inspiration for him, and he considers it an indisputable topic of national pride, and that it even should be treated as high art. The style of Lyubarov’s paintings owe much to Russian lubok, as well as out of his love for primitivism.
The exhibition “Vladimir Lyubarov. Kolya sees through his third eye” will be held at the ARTSTORY gallery from April 20 to July 30, 2023.
Dear readers,
Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
Subscribe
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
