Ruben Monakhov was born in Leningrad in 1970. He received his artistic education at the department of decorative graphics of the Serov Art School in Leningrad. As a member of the Union of Artists, he organized about ten solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous group events.
But what can this really tell us about Ruben Monakhov? Any picture of him or any of his works can tell us far more. The artist’s biographic record would have been incomplete without knowing that Ruben Monakhov is the proud bearer of a wonderful curled-up moustache that harkens back to Salvador Dali.
Monakhov’s painting is as vivid as his looks. He creates bright, rich and pastose scenes, as when he paints a still-life where tomatoes and oranges are always found. Suffice to say, this vividness also radiates from the topography of his landscapes in Helsinki, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Bruges, Prague, Vyborg, Kronshtadt and, of course, Saint-Petersburg. However, the artist never paints the views of Petersburg favoured by the plein air artists. Is he toying with his audience, or is he really not interested in depicting the most beautiful places in the city? He paints the smoggiest cities on the planet but in his pictures they are drenched with sunlight. These unusual sun rays make the industrial constructions and tenement houses melt and their colours fade. In the frameworks of the painting traditions, Monakhov masterfully features his landscapes ‘in a favourable light.’ He can successfully turn a suburban railway platform into an Italian view.
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Portrait of Wife2005
