WALERA MARTYNCHIK

 

Walera Martynchik was born in the post war Soviet Union in Belarus. His artistic style was formed in 60th and 70th.There was only propaganda art existed and allowed at that time. But the first political and cultural liberalisation “The Thaw” had lifted the heavy “Iron Curtain” and through the narrow gap information (images) had flooded libraries, art magazines and museums. Only at that time young artist in the former USSR had learned that the Modern Art does exist and the most shocking was the fact that the provincial Belorussian town Vitebsk in the 20th was the place where the revolution in visual art took place, where Mark Chagall was born, Kazimir Malevich tought his theories and suprematists and costructivists laid foundation of new aesthetics.

The tradition of Avant-garde culture was inspiring for the young artist but cotradicted the repressive practice of the Soviet Art education. Any attempts to experiment provoked suppressive measures as expultions, srtipping of scholarship and conspiracy, the underground existence was only the option for creative person to survive as an artist at that time.

Since graduating from Belarusian Academy of Fine Arts in 1972 Walera Martynchik had been developing his unique style based on continuation Russian Avant-Garde tradition, emerging at that time computing art and philosophy of complexity. He called his first large comositions Zones. Paradoxically, inspite of been a synonim for prison camps his canvases had been the only zones of freedom for almost 20 years of total conspiracy, lack of exhbition and contacts with international world of culture.

In the 70th, Walera had a chance to visit studios of underground artists in Moscow well known now as Celkov, Yankelevsky and Rabin which had profound stimulating effect on his art. After Perestroika he was a founder and a curator of “Forma” the very first group of underground artists in Belarus. Creating such a group his aim was to demonstrate that independant cultural movement had existed not only in Moscow but in other cities and places but deep underground. Since 1990 Walera lives and exibits internationally in the UK. 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 Singapore Arteries Art fair
2018 OXO Tower, Barge House Exhibition, London
2018 Bethnal Green Gallery, London
2016 STAGE, Singapore Art fair
2015 Biennale of Light and Sound, Moscow, Russia
2014 Solo show, Museum of Decorative Art, Moscow
2014 Solo show, Crouch End Open Studios
2013 Solo Show, Albemarle Gallery, London.
2012 Solo show "Art of Memory" Martynchik drawings, House of Vostrovska Gallery, Vyner Street,London     

2011 Solo exhibition at the Pink Floyd Show, O2, London 
2010 Solo exhibition. at the MTV Award, Madrid 
2010 Unique Art Gallery, Chelsea, London 
2008 "Walera Martynchik" Ivana Morozoff Galerie, Brussels, Belgium 
2008 "Walera Martynchik" New End Gallery, Hampstead, London 
2007 "Consolation Zone" Martynchik Art Foundation, Pushkin House, Bloomsbury Sq., London EC1 
2006 “Walera Martynchik” ArtLondon.com Gallery, London 
2005 “Walera Martynchik” ArtLondon.com Gallery London 
1997 “Walera Martynchik” Galery Basmajan, Paris, France 
1994 “Walera Martynchik” Vlissingen City Gallery, Holland 
1994 “Walera Martynchik” Gallery Basmajan, Paris, France 
1992 “Walera Martynchik” Gallery Basmajan, Paris, France 
1990 “Walera Martynchik” Red Square Gallery, London 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015 Red Square Gallery, Singapore
2014 Lounerdale House Gallery, Highgate Hill, London
2014 Koller Abstract Art Gallery, Academy of Art, Moscow
2013 Academy of Art, Moscow
2012 House of Vostrovska Gallery, Vyner Street, London
2012 Matt Roberts gallery, Vyner Street, London
2012 Abstract Art Group show, Vitebsk, Belarus
2010 La Galleria Pall Mall, Art Bizzar, London 
2010 New End Gallery, Hamstead, London 
2010 Artige Fine Art, La Galeria Pall Mall, London 
2010 Russian Art Fair, Mayfair, London 
2010 Artige Fine Art, Colomb Gallery, Mayfair, 
2010 Ricshaw House Gallery, London 
2010 Unique Art Gallery, Chelsy, London 
2010 Russian Art Fair, Mayfair, London 
2010 Artige Art Exhibition, Maifair, London 
2010 Ricshow Art Gallery, London 
2009 Bedfordbury Gallery, Covent Garden, London 
2009 Ricksaw House Gallery, London 
2009 Albermarle Gallery, London 
2008 New End Gallery, Hampstead, London 
2007 "21 Century Watercolour" Royal Society of watercolour artists, Bankside Gallery, London 
2005 “21 Century Watercolour” Bankside Gallery, London 
2005 New English Art Club, Mall Gallery, London 
2004 Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Gallery, London 
2002 Demarco Art Foundation, Brooks Univercity, Oxford 
2001 Dach exhibition, Gallery im Kunshaus, Tacheles, Berlin 
2000 Demarco Art Foundation, Stainly Picker Gallery, London 
1998 Kensington Art Fair, London 
1995 Art from Belarus, Edinburgh Festival 
1991 Olimpia Art Fair London

After liberalisation of political and cultural lives in the former USSR an organiser and a leader of “Forma”- a group of nonconformist artists in Belarus 

1989 “Forma” exhibition Union of Artists Gallery, Moskow 
1989 “Forma exhibition Troitsk City-gallery, Moskow 
1988 1st Festival of Soviet underground Art Narva, Estonia 
1988 “Forma” exhibition Na Kashirke Gallery, Moskow 
1987 “Forma” exhibition “Kadriorg” State Art Museum, Tallin, Estonia 
1987 “Forma” exhibition Kohtla-iarve, City-gallery, Estonia 

 Awards- Prize winner "21 Century Watercolour" competition, Bankside Gallery, London 2005

 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS :

National Museum, Lviv, Ukraine
Museum of Modern Art, Minsk, Belarus
Norton Dodge Collection of Soviet Underground Art, New Jersey, USA

Private collections around the globe.