Valeriy Valran

Valeriy Koziev (working under the alias Valran) was born in 1949 at the Izhma station of the Ukhta District, Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Having entered the School of Mathematics of the Leningrad Teachers College in 1966, in the following year he transferred to the School of Psychology of the Leningrad State University, earning a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1980. He currently lives and works in St. Petersburg.

Valeriy Valran left his mark in multiple fields, including scientific research, journalism, painting, and photography. His first paintings, executed in the Abstract Expressionism manner, date back to 1972. It was the time when Valran drew inspiration from the works of Jackson Pollock and, among his compatriots, Evgeniy Mikhnov-Voytenko. Constantly experimenting, the artist keeps returning to three recurring themes: magical abstractionism, still life, and cityscape. He also paints metaphysical ‘portraits’ of everyday objects. Valran’s extensive creative output is matched by his impressive curatorial and exhibition staging practice.