I was born to be an artist. Both of my parents were artists and I began to paint before I could walk or talk.

I grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia surrounded by an atmosphere of art and culture. At the age of eleven I began my studies at the Secondary School for the Arts attached to the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. I completed my studies there eight years later. Very early in my studies, I recognized that the only way for me to find my own way in the visual arts was through the classical education I was so fortunate to be given.

I have always thought that being an artist demands much more than just having good technique and knowing how to draw a still-life, a landscape or a portrait. I believe the true artist has something important to say and he expresses himself by communicating visually. The true artist must be more than a good craftsman with brush and oil paint and canvas. He must also seek truth in the manner of a philosopher.

Often I ask myself the big questions: "What is life?" "Why are we here?" I have traveled widely. And I have found that the answers to these great questions are all around us. They are, in the words of Bob Dylan, "blowin' in the wind." Now, in my mid-thirties, I feel it is the right time for me to launch this project.

My style is child-like, almost naive. My intent is to say what I have to say in a way that will be clear to every eye. I think this is the language through which I can best communicate my message.