Irina Vasilyeva

Born in 1970 in Leningrad, the artist lives and works in St. Petersburg. Irina Vasilyeva’s distinct imagery was informed by the traditions of an informal association of Leningrad-based artists know as the Arefiev circle. The artist has been actively exhibiting since her youth, starting with successful group shows with the Mitki artistic collective in 1997.

In Vasilyeva’s works, outward simplicity blends with refined naivety. While her narrative works are mostly ironic, the landscapes are predominantly lyrical. Far from being contrived, the depicted scenes are often inspired by the artist’s real-life experiences. Vasilyeva can easily centre her painting on some trivial object found in the street and has the knack for finding beauty in simple things and sharing it with the viewer.