A new participant, remarkable Russian sculptor joined us at the second exhibition of Season-2015 of Project “THE PORTRAIT OF RUSSIAN FINE WORD” – Ivan Korzhev.

Ivan Vladimirovich Korzhev (Korzhev-Chuvelev)

(born November 24, 1973 in Moscow) — Russian sculptor monumentalist, architect, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.

Works in the genre of realistic portrait, monumental, smaller, memorial and park sculpture; painter, graphisist, modern-style architect.

I.V. Korzhev graduated from Moscow Secondary Art School named after Tomsky (1991).

In 1996, Ivan Vladimirovich graduated from Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov (Sculpture Faculty) Chair headed by Projessors M.V. Pereyaslavets and N.V. Kolupaev.

Since 1996, Member of Moscow Union of Artists.

In 2008, Ivan Korzhev was bestowed a title Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation

Alongside with sculpturing, I.V. Korzhev is actively engaged in architecture. For a long time has been heading a creative corporation ‘Art Bureau XXI’ which has implemented over 250 architectural and design projects including settlements, public buildings, single family cottages, parks, landscapes, interiors, monuments, memorials, fountain and many others.

Ivan Korzhev is a laureate of international contests: ‘Architecture and Design Exhibition in the House in Brestskaya’, ‘Zodche stvo’, ‘ArchMoscow’. In 2006, the sculptor was nominated for First Prize in Architecture for his reconstruction project of the former building of Industrial Sewing Association ‘Moscow’.

Ivan Korzhev was even more successful as a sculptor. He has created over 100 sculptors, a,ong theses a series of monumental images of great people: Genghis Khan, Alexander of Macedon, Siddhartha Gautama, Yemelyan Pugachev, Ida Rubinshtein, Mark Aurelius, Severinus Boetius, N.I. Novikov and others.

In 2011, long restoration of one of the capital’s landmark, the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, was completed by the figures of classical muses Erato and Terpsichore created by Ivan Korzhev for the central facade of the Bolshoy. The sculptors by Ivan Korzhev replaced the earlier works by Peter Clodt и Mikhail Rukavishnikov, which has previously decorated two central exedra of the Bolshoy.

There are over 30 memorials and tombstones created by Ivan Korzhev. The sculptor took part in manufacturing story-telling relief panels in the course of recovery of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Ivan Vladimirovich is the author of tombstone for the family burial place of the Stroganovs, famous Russian manufacturers and patrons of the arts in Moscow, and of a tombstone installed in 2012 to Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov, the outstanding Russian educator, journalist and public figure. In the autumn of 2013, Ivan Korzhev designed the project for complete reconstruction and accomplishment of the pocket park at the M. Voloshin Memorial House for Crimea Republic Foundation ‘Koktebel National Park “M.A. Voloshin’s Cimmeria’”, that autumn grand opening of the monument to the Russian symbolist poet.

EXHIBITIONS

2003 — Personal Exhibition in the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoim Vietnam
2009 — Personal Exhibition in the Central House of Artists, Moscow
2010 — ARTMANEZH 2010, the Central Exhibition Hall MANEZH, Moscow
2010 — The Fifth Jubilee International Art Festival in Moscow ‘Traditions and Contemporaneity’, the Central Exhibition Hall MANEZH, Moscow
2011 — Exhibition of Contemporary Sculptor in South Ural Region ‘Creators of Worlds’, the city of Satka
2011 — ARTMANEZH 2011, the Central Exhibition Hall MANEZH, Moscow
2012 — The State Russian Museum, Benua Block, St. Petersbur, July 04— October 08, 2012.

LITERATURE:

Arabchikov K.N. Ivan Korzhev. Sculpture. Volume I. — M.: Art- Bureau XXI, 2011. — 160 p., illustrated — ISBN 978-5-9902719-1-3.
Creators of Worlds: Album of Sculpture / Edited by Arabchikov K.N — M.: Boslen, 2011. — 152 p., illustrated — ISBN 978-5-91187-157-4.
The Russian Museum: REALISM IN THE RUSSIAN ART IN THE SECOND HALF OF XX CENTURY. From private comlections, Moscow / Almanach. Edition 345 — StPb: Palace Editions, 2012. — 312 p., illustrated — ISBN 978-5-93332-404-1.

 

Maximilian Voloshin

Material: cast stone, bronze. Size: 207 х 90 х 80cm.

The sculpture of Maximilian Voloshin was created for Voloshin Memorial House in Koktebel to be installed in the pocket garden. In this scupture portrait, the author has also conveyed his today's perception of the poet artist, philosopher, man of thoughts and genuine Person as Max had been.

 

Pontius Pilate

Material: cast stone, bronze. Size: 66 х 28 х 30cm

One can physically feel the thoughts possessing Pilate – it’s his powerful effort of his arms rested on a surface that seem to support his drawn forward body and bowed head with difficulty. The load of doubts and mixed emotions expressed so ponderably and pliantly looks like a nonsolvable dilemma capable to destroy the mighty procurator from inside, bring his very existence to utter meaninglessness. His There is the only support for his suffering body is a fragment of a column, and that is rather symbolical. Upon the ruins of the ancient world, a totally different culture is being born in the throes, the one with an absolutely different value system. In that tremendously difficult process, the procurator is given a special role; he is unable to face it but does not want to take.

 

 

 

Prodigal Son

Material: cast stone, bronze. Size: 128 х 46 х 70 cm

The PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON is one of Jesus Christ’s parables told in the Gospel of Lucas, declaring love of fellow-men and forgiveness.

The sculptural group of two figures depicts culmination of the Parable: the Son comes home and falls on his knees for he is genuinely remorseful of his actions and mistakes.

Certainly, the core of composition is the Father – the affirmative vertical line is similar to the axis (rotation rod) of the world.

Around the figure, plastic shapes develop in spiral rhythms, defining complicated twists with culminations and space intervals.

 

Ivan Korzhev is a representative of the family famous in Russian Arts; every educated person definitely remembers the work by the remarkable brilliant Russian artist, Heliy Korzhev; the sculpture after the plot of the Return of the Prodigal Son. It is the story that inspired Rembrandt and Dürer to create marvellous paintings and graphic works.

And here is our contemporary sculptor Ivan Korzhev asserting the timeless value of evangelic characters through skilful casting these symbolic figures in material and monumental sculptural forms.

Here is also the utter profundity of philosophical interpretation of the theme WAR AND PEACE: from eternal dispute between Sons and Fathers to eternal conciliation and forgiveness.

The fact that an artist of such scale of gift and talent as Ivan Korzhev is taking part in the exhibitions of THE PORTRAIT OF RUSSIAN FINE WORD Project, proves appropriateness of our conceptual tactics and strategy; but the main thing is different, it is just great that such bright works are being displayed within our expositions.

Exhibition opens tonight, on the 5th of September 2015 at 6 pm.
Just reminding the guests, and welcome to the opening day!

Margarita Siourina

 

Material for publication, photos, descriptions and background of the Sculptor: courtesy of HELIY KORZHEV’S FUND.