From west to east

«From West to East» - is a part of big ambitious work aimed at strengthening of cultural relations between Russia and China. Artist, philosopher, explorer and traveler, Oleg Mikhailov combines in his works humor and poetry, he tries to offer a viewer interesting topics in easy, fuss-free and decorative manner.  In 2017 in China (Guanlan Printmaking Museum) international project «One Belt one Road» took place devoted to silk way where more than thirty countries show their prints. Oleg Mikhailov’s lithography presents Russia in this project. It’s already the third personal exhibition of the artist in this Art direction.

In May 2013 Oleg Mikhailov together with publishing house «Vita Nova» presented illustrations for the book of  V.Astafiev «Tsar-fish». He was making  illustrations for more than three years, and for this the artist went on a long-term trip to Krasnoyarsky region, to Enisey. The book was success and took the first place at the competition «Book image» in 2013 in Moscow.

In December of the same year 2013 the second personal exhibition of Oleg Mikhailov «Underwater calendar» takes place, where series of paintings was presented, devoted to riverine and lakes of central part of Russia. His hobby of underwater hunting and fishing pushed the artist for creating paintings which you may only see submerged.

The artist keen on fishing continues his active work in this direction; in 2014 his first trip to China happened. Acquaintance with rich culture of Celestial Empire impressed him a lot. Millennial traditions of decorative and especially graphic art of China, and also acquaintance with already Chinese fishermen, with their hard work, way of life and secrets and traditions of Chinese fishing inspired him for creating new works.

Triptych «From west to east» gave the name for a new exhibition «Red fishermen» and «Fish market in Tsyndao». In these works through symbolical images of fish a way of the Russian artist to China is shown and it’s the attempt not only to continue fishermen series of lithographs 2015-2016 «Fishermen being», which will be presented at the exhibition as well, but to raise wider topics. For example, role of Russia in relations between east and west, as literally – in geographic sense, as in international context.