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Alexander ArefievRussian artist, painter, graphic artist
Date of Birth: 03.08.1931
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Early Life
Alexander Dmitrievich Arefyev, a prominent Russian artist, painter, and graphic artist, was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) on August 3, 1931, to working-class parents from Siberia and Novgorod. Growing up in a comfortable home on Gaz Avenue, Arefyev's childhood was marked by its stability and ample nourishment. He received his artistic education at the Palace of Pioneers, studying under M. A. Gorohova and S. D. Levin.
Artistic Education and Influences
In 1941, with the outbreak of World War II, Arefyev relocated with his mother to the countryside of Novgorod Oblast. Upon returning to Leningrad in 1944, he enrolled in the Secondary School of Art at the Academy of Arts, where he met a group of young artists who would shape his career: Alexander Traugot, Mikhail Voitsechovsky, Ilya Glazunov, Leonid Mironov, Sholom Schwarz, Kiril Lilbok, Vladimir Pekishev, and Rodion Gudzenko.
In 1949, Arefyev and two of his classmates, Traugot and Voitsechovsky, were expelled from the art school. Voitsechovsky's father, artist and philosopher Mikhail Voitsechovsky, had founded the "Order of Beggarly Painters" in 1948. This concept inspired Arefyev, who, in the late 1960s, adopted the term for his own small circle of friends and artists.
Artistic Style and Development
Arefyev's early work, primarily from the 1940s, showcased urban landscapes and genre scenes of Leningrad. He was influenced by artists like V. P. Yanova and Natalya Ponomareva. In the 1950s, Arefyev became associated with the poet Roald Mandelstam and his circle, which included artists Richard Vasmi, Sholom Schwarz, Rodion Gudzenko, Vadim Prelovsky, Valentin Gromov, Valery Titov, Vladimir Shagin, and poetess Nina Markevich.
In the mid-1950s, Arefyev created numerous drawings capturing the everyday life of Leningrad. In 1960, he met artist Mikhail Shemyakin and entered the civil service, working in the medical field.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1963, Arefyev moved to Peterhof. In the late 1960s, he emerged as the leader of a group of artists known as the "Arefyev Circle," which included Vasmi, Schwarz, and Shagin. He participated in several unofficial art exhibitions in Leningrad and Moscow.
In 1977, Arefyev and his wife, Zhanna Yatsenko, emigrated to Austria and later settled in France. He passed away in Paris on May 19, 1978, at the age of 46. His remains were interred in the Krasnenkoye Cemetery in Petersburg alongside his close friend Roald Mandelstam.
Arefyev's work influenced a new generation of Petersburg artists, including members of the "Mitki" group such as Dmitry Shagin and Vladimir Shinkarev. His legacy as an artist known for his unconventional approach and rebellious spirit continues to resonate in the world of art.
