Following sell out exhibitions at ARCO’05 and in Lisbon last year, Amelia Johnson Contemporary is proud to present an exhibition of new works by the acclaimed Russian artist, Konstantin Bessmertny.
Konstantin Bessmertny’s work has become renown in Asia and Europe, attracting followers who have succumbed to the charm of his unique creations. A Russian living in Macau, Bessmertny’s paintings reflect aspects of his Macanese surroundings which he interprets into vibrant compositions imbued with his celebrated dark humour.
For this exhibition Konstantin has created works of art that herald a return to his well loved themes of eating and gambling. There are small works on canvas that depict isolated groups or single figures involved in the act of Yam Cha. These small works pointedly contrast their backdrops of flamboyant texture and colour with the muted palette and minute detail of the figures around the Yam Cha table.
Also exhibited is a series of sixteen small works on wood, each panel a vignette depicting one of the sixteen picture cards from a deck of cards. As always, each figure has received Bessmertny’s unique and quirky interpretation where the King of Hearts sits regally poolside, the Queen of Spades pole dances in her underwear, the Jack of Diamonds carries a steaming pot of tea and Dim Sum.
There are larger, oil on canvases from his Ambience series that feature humorous, anecdotal dramas which unfold inside a room. In these, Bessmertny creates an exquisitely rendered backdrop against which his solemn characters act out their roles, whether it is trying to play a piano without pedals or putting a golf ball through a throng of revelers.
Alongside these works Bessmertny displays a selection of his painted objects that are dark, mischievous and full of whimsical charm.
Konstantin Bessmertny’s work continues to evolve, constantly shifting focus and striving to capture elements from his history and his daily existence whilst demanding from the viewer a level of involvement that will bring his creations to life. Juxtaposing the doctrines of the Old Masters with the Absurd of his imagination, combining images of the East with technicalities learnt in the West, Konstantin Bessmertny affords the viewer a delicious glimpse into a world that could so nearly exist and, yet again, demonstrates why he is one of the most exciting artists working in Asia today.
