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About Artist:
SERGEY Eylanbekov It was in the mid-1990s that the Russian-born sculptor Sergey first began to experiment with acrylic forms. Being an established sculptor working mainly in bronze, he was highly skilled at manipulating light and shadow through the distribution of masses and volumes and the creation of negative space. "Every good sculpture should possess some concealed energy within, the kind of energy that is felt beyond the physical limits of the work," he maintains. "I am fascinated by acrylic. Its transparency opens the door to a whole new world of the visible and the invisible in three dimensions." Inspired by the works of Frederick Hart who pioneered the medium, Sergey experimented with acrylic forms for several years, manipulating them, mastering them as he continued to create and exhibit his bronzes. Each figure is carefully rendered, the acrylic suffused with light in an aura of otherworldliness that brings the body of Sergey's work to a whole new level. As a child in Russia in the 1960s, he demonstrated considerable skill at drawing and modeling clay. In 1973, at age thirteen, Sergey was chosen to study art at the Moscow School of Fine Arts. Separated from his family, young Sergey threw himself into learning. The Russian art training was rigorous, he learned to sculpt and draw by working with live models as well as copying ancient and renaissance art from the museums of Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the age of 17, Sergey was accepted into the Moscow Surikov Academy of Fine Arts, one of the two most prestigious schools in the entire Soviet Union. Here, students perfected their technique by sculpting and drawing from live models for six to seven hours a day, in addition to mandatory courses in art history, symbolism, and studies in ancient art. After six years at the Academy Sergey was obligated to serve for two years in the Russian Army, an experience he would rather forget. As he points out, "It doesn't feel right to carry a gun after ten years of studying art." Following his departure from the army, Sergey was finally free to begin working on his own as an artist. In 1987, a few of his works were acquired by Russian museums. Eylanbekov's career was taking off. However, in 1989, the government closed his studio. That same year, Sergey managed to leave Russia to fulfill his dream of immigrating to the United States. Since then, Sergey has become something of a prodigy in the American art world. At the age of 30, he was elected to professional membership in the eminent National Sculpture Society; a mere five years later, his peers elected him as a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society, an honor usually reserved for much older sculptors. Ten years of relative celebrity have not changed Sergey much. He is proud to be an American, and now leads a quiet life with his family in a small village on Long Island where he sculpts every day.
History:
Studied at the Moscow School of Fine Arts. == 1960 Born in Russia 1973-1977 Studied at the Moscow School of Art (equivalent of high school) 1978-1984 Studied at the Moscow Surikov Academy of Fine Art; Russian Academy of Arts Award for Diploma Project 1984-1986 Served in the Russian Army, obligatory 1987-1988 Worked in his studio in Moscow; Worked with major Russian sculptors on monumental projects, exhibited in Russia, West Germany and Czechoslovakia 1989 Eylanbekov's studio closed by government; Immigrates to the U.S.; 1991 Elected Professional Member of National Sculpture Society; Work appeared in Sculpture Review magazine (4th quarter, 1991); 12th Annual SOHO International Art Competition (NYC); 4th Annual ARTstravaganza Juried competition-received award (Chattanooga, TN); Sergey's portrait of Ronald Regan placed in the Presidential Library. 1993 Group exhibition at Michael Andi Gallery, NYC; Silver Medal and Lance Chilmark Award; National Sculpture Society Centennial Anniversary Exhibition (Fairfield, CT) 1994 Exhibited in National Sculpture Society 61st Annual Exhibition, New York; "100 Years of the National Sculpture Society of the United States of American in Italy," Palazzo Mediceo, Seravezza, Italy. 1995 Won Roger T. Williams Prize in Young Sculptors' Awards Competition; Cover article, "Faces Half Seen: The Figures of Sergey Eylanbekov'," by Dena Marriam in Sculpture Review magazine (Spring 1995) 1996 Elected Fellow of National Sculpture Society; First Place in National Sculpture Competition sponsored by Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Lyme Academy of Fine Arts; Walter and Michael Lantz Prize; Edward Fenno Hoffman Prize for Outstanding Achievement; 1997 Elected to the National Sculpture Society Board of Directors for a three-year term; "Artist Showcase Award Winner" - Manhattan Arts International Magazine; Tallix Foundry Prize - NSS Annual Exhibition 1998 National Sculpture Society 65th Annual Exhibition 1999 National Sculpture Society 66th Annual Exhibition. "Masterworks of American Sculpture, 1875-1999" at the Fleischer Museum, Scottsdale, AZ 2000 Unveiled his collection of acrylic sculptures 2002 Named an Official Artist of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games. Sculpted "Graceful Glory" to commemorate the 2002 United States Olympic Team.
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