Xenia Lavrova

Some exhibitions

2012. Helsinki. (Finland) “Byen som ikke eksisterer»
2012-Russian Art Week . (1. pris “for beste grafiske arbeid”).
2013-Montreal ( Canada ) – “Substance of time”.
2013-PRC. (G.Lan chou., Xian) .Siansky Institute of Fine Arts – Utstilling med kinesiske kunstnere
2013-Vyborg. Exhibition Center “Hermitage-Vyborg” . Solo utstilling.
2014-15- Paris-Frankrike “Le Salon 2014”.Societe des artistes Francais au Grand Palais”
2016, Mariinsky Theatre (konsertsal) .- Utstilling “silkeormen.»

ART CRITIC

It is known that the story develops in a spiral. In the early twentieth century Paris was shocked by the exotic beauty of the works of Russian artist Aleksandr Yakovlev, shown at an exhibition in the gallery Charpentier, at the end of a series of expeditions organized by “Citroen” in Africa, Asia and the Far East. On display in front of the astonished audience were leaders and princesses of African tribes, actors of Chinese opera, and peasants, Japanese geishas and kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and Afghan shepherds.
At the beginning of the twenty first century, when it would seem that the world has been studied, and there was not an undiscovered nook, a Saint Petersburg artist Ksenia Lavrova invites viewers into her exciting journey across the countries and continents of the world. A world transformed by her imagination, an amazing world, where imagination echoes with an ethnographic precision of details; a mysterious and frightening world, filled with very strange creatures as if descended from the pages of Lewis Carroll.
The creative work of Ksenia Lavrova is characterized by multiple stylistics, as is typical of contemporary art. The artist intentionally uses the principles and techniques of different styles and directions. The easy composition of multiscale pieces on one sheet and a wonderful combination of heroes or patterns of fragments and compositional pauses of empty space, give rise to memories of masters from the European Middle Ages, and the quirky, whimsical, elastic line is as if borrowed from Persian miniature painters. Luxury materials and textures depicted in the works of Xenia Laurel, send the viewer to the aesthetics of Art Deco. The mood of a light sadness, smooth flowing silhouettes, the combination of gold with purple, lilac hues, the showing of reflections and iridescence, complemented by decorative flatness are reminiscent of modernity.
With this diversity of sources, her creative style differs by its uniqueness. The subtle combination of disparate methods from different eras and styles is an expression of the feeling of life in modern society, the big city, where ethnic groups and cultures from all ends of the planet coexist together.
The contemplation of works by Ksenia Lavrova can be compared with aesthetic pleasure, slowly drinking small sips of strong oriental coffee and re-reading a novel from the nineteenth century, rich in elegant epithets, detailed descriptions, and almost devoid of action. Information density of her artworks is unusually high. It is impossible to catch at first glance all of the characters and innumerable details. Each time when viewing the work of Ksenia Lavrova, you always discover something new that slipped from view before. This extremely fascinating and endless journey of discovery gives viewers the opportunity to enjoy a fine and generous aesthetic of an amazing artist.

by Marina Chekmareva,  
Ph.D. in Art History
Research associate of the State Hermitage Museum