Stanislav Zhitskiy Russian designer. Date of Birth: 01.01.1967 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Artistic Education
2. Design and Illustration Career
3. Art and Fashion
4. Graphic Design and Advertising
5. OPEN!Design&Concepts Projects
6. International Recognition
7. Awards and Recognition
8. Literary Contributions
9. Artistic Collaborations and Publications
10. Academic Affiliations

Early Life and Artistic Education

Russian designer Roman Zhytskiy embarked on his artistic journey in 1985, briefly studying at the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages. Despite attempts to pursue higher education, his aspirations were met with rejections from various institutions, including the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. Undeterred, he continued his artistic pursuits at the art studio of Dmitry Lion from 1985 to 1986.

Design and Illustration Career

Zhytskiy's professional career began in 1986, where he worked as a theatrical designer, creating both scenography and costumes. Simultaneously, he ventured into book design and illustration, producing approximately 30 books by the early 1990s. Notable among these were four collectible minicollectibles of prose by Daniil Kharms, released in 1991.

Art and Fashion

From 1989 to 1995, Zhytskiy delved into various contemporary art forms, including collaborations with the group "ART-BLYA." He participated in over 30 exhibitions, approximately 10 of which were solo shows, across Europe and Russia. During the early 1990s, he also ventured into the emerging fashion industry, working as an art director and production designer for fashion shows.

Graphic Design and Advertising

In 1994, Zhytskiy transitioned to freelance work in the realms of graphic design and print advertising. In 1996, he co-founded the company "OPEN!Design" with Sergei Kuzhavsky, later renamed to "OPEN!Design&Concepts" in 2002.

OPEN!Design&Concepts Projects

Zhytskiy and Kuzhavsky collaborated on numerous notable projects, including the design of the "Rich" juice line, successfully showcased at the first European Design Conference in Athens (2007), and the packaging for "Az" vodka, watches, t-shirts, and other materials. However, they also conceived and proposed ambitious conceptual projects, some of which remain unrealized, such as the Clock Museum (a building in the shape of a pocket watch) and the reconstruction of Moscow's Lubyanka Square into a children's paradise.

International Recognition

Zhytskiy and Kuzhavsky's work gained international attention in 2005 when they designed decals for the "Renault" Formula 1 racing team. Their innovative use of motifs from the traditional Japanese sumi-e painting style earned them finalist status at the Design Innovation Awards.

Awards and Recognition

Zhytskiy's achievements have been celebrated with over 30 awards and accolades. Notable among these are the Golden Drum, GOOD DESIGN Award (for the "Rich" juice), and RedDot Award 2009 (for the "Diamonds Inside" jewelry collection).

Literary Contributions

Zhytskiy has co-authored two humorous books: "Parable Therapy, or the Book of Meaning about Marketing" (2010) with S. Kuzhavsky and "Novohokku" (2008), a collection of humorous miniature poems.

Artistic Collaborations and Publications

In 2011, Zhytskiy initiated the art-poetic series "Pyrographomania." He serves as a jury member for international festivals such as Cannes Lions, Eurobest, and AD Stars (Korea), as well as numerous Russian design and advertising festivals.

From 2009 to 2020, he actively collaborated with the media project "Snob," contributing book reviews and maintaining a literary-critical blog. Zhytskiy has written extensively for various print and online publications, covering topics such as design, architecture, literature, and culture.

Academic Affiliations

Since 2020, Zhytskiy has served as curator-teacher for multidisciplinary programs (design, media, advertising, storytelling) at the School of Design of the Higher School of Economics.