Irina Koulikov
Fine art and music have always been an integral
part of Irina Koulikovs life. Born in Kokand, Uzbekistan, Irina
studied fine art at Moscow State University in 1986. Irina explored
her musical talents studying vocal music at Leningrad Conservatory
for two years and later becoming a choir singer at the Rimsky-Korsakov
Opera Theater. In the early nineties, Irinas work began to show
the stylistic influences of Oleg Koulikov, who she eventually
married. By 1993, she had left her singing career to devote
herself to painting on a full time basis.
The Dutch masters and French painters influence Irinas work.
Her flattened forms and textural emphasis are not unlike the
work of Marc Chagall. Employing an encaustic method, her distorted
perspectives and calculated relationships between elements creates
a sense of tension. Irinas landscapes parallel nature but are
independent from it, therefore, drawing ones attention to the
materials used in the piece and its color effects. In her still
life work, the warm rich browns, stark creams and vibrant reds
combined with her deliberate placement of items are inspired
by the work of 18th century artist Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin.
