10 Questions with Sergey Piskunov

Featured BACK COVER artist in ISSUE08

A burst of emotion, forcing the artist to turn inside out his soul and leave it on the canvas – that's how the Ukrainian artist Sergey Piskunov sees the work of his life. Hyper-realistic paintings, possessing their own charm and character, children of unique inspiration – they like no other reflect the inner state of their creator, the depth of his personality, exposing him to the outside world. Today the works of Sergey testify his talent not only in Ukraine but also in Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Switzerland, and many other countries.

Sergey was born on 9th April 1989 in Ukraine. It's not for nothing that childhood is considered almost the most important stage of human life. It is during this period that a person learns to understand himself. There is the emergence of his personality and the manifestation of individuality. It was drawing to be the passion of Sergey's childhood. In school, he used to draw on everything that could be used for this purpose: on the fields of notebooks, on the desk, etc. And even though the teachers insistently advised him to develop such a talent in the art school, he didn't visit it once.

The next stage in the life of Sergey led him away from the creative path. In 2007, he entered the Ukrainian Academy of Customs and finished it in 2012, receiving the diploma of computer system engineer, after which he started working as an IT engineer. But our life mission prescribed by fate isn't able to leave a person under any circumstances. It isn't accidental that during the 3rd year of study, a person very close to Sergey presented him with brushes and oil paints. It was this gift that awakened the dormant need to manifest himself through drawing.

In the beginning, the creative searches of oneself were charged with Sergey's inspiration, taken from the works of masters of impressionism and surrealism. That's why in the first paintings are so noticeable the notes of these styles. As a result, Sergey fully revealed himself in hyperrealism. This style helps him be competitive with himself and approve creative skills all the time.

Hyperrealism is the style in which there is not much space to be original. The works live their own lives, misleading people and forcing them to believe in the illusion of photography, so that later they allow them to unravel every brushstroke carried out by the artist on the canvas.

Sergey Piskunov is the embodiment of a free artist, independent of market trends, whose faithful compass and guide is the world's perception through the prism of his own inspiration and talent.

piskunovsergey.com | @piskunovart

ARTIST STATEMENT

Sergey Piskunov is a genre-defying painter passionately committed to exploring the core principles of hyper-realism to redefine the genre with his breathtaking works. The Ukrainian artist creates a stunning anthology of works that he sees as a “burst of emotion”, forcing the artist to turn inside out his soul and leave it on the canvas.

His accomplished background and education as a computer system engineer may differ greatly from his career as an international artist globally exhibiting and creating works in Ukraine, Germany, UK, USA, Switzerland, and beyond. But it is perhaps his unusual beginnings that make the artist so very exceptional. Piskunov’s primary focus and area of work is a unique approach to hyper-realistic painting, which utilizes his courage as an artist, creating both intuitively and instinctively. He infuses his works with a spirit of harmony and balance that is then juxtaposed with a distinctive and hypnotic edge.

Piskunov creates work that moves seamlessly between many approaches to realism while always remaining committed to the truth of his subjects and their stories. Piskunov’s striking paintings go far beyond hyper-realism, drawing the viewer into an enigmatic, transformative, exotic, and sensual world of fantasy, seduction, and spirit. His paintings form an interior dialogue on the intersections of space, place, time, memory, culture, and history. His art emphasizes an aesthetic that is alluring, sensual, and salacious yet intensely intimate and personal. Whether Piskunov is painting an intimate portrait, a narrative scene, or even a still-life, his style is always grounded in the internal psychology of people, places, and symbolism.

Many of Piskunov’s works depict an intimate connection to women. His respect and admiration are clear; he documents the glory, strength, and fragility of women. By recording their stories and experiences visually in his work, he gives them significance, acknowledging the beauty, melancholy, and history. He does so by layering vibrant colors and complex compositions that combine intense detail with negative cinematic space, allowing the subject to really become the focus, and always leaving the viewer wanting more.

In the same vein as other hyper-realist artists Will Cotton, Bodin Jacques, Chuck Close, or Ron Mueck, Piskunov’s work is often is metaphorical. In his case, by focusing on portraiture and still life as a primary source of subjects, Piskunov synthesizes historical and contemporary styles, creating evocative images that examine tradition and history within the context of modern art and the role of the artist as the creator of experience. His art evokes a sense of abundance. They are suspended moments of reality-embodying an intense and energetic physicality. Piskunov’s work creates a type of visual sound through composition and color—the work is made to listen.

Piskunov is a rare observer free from the restrictions and stereotypes of many artists because he refuses to be limited to one singular subject, market trend, or approach. Piskunov is the embodiment of a free artist, independent of market trends, whose faithful compass and guide is the perception of the world through the prism of his own inspiration and talent. His art is ultimately an evocative, intense, and sometimes surreal symphony of beauty and tension that provides the viewer with meditative explorations of both familiar and foreign realities. As an artist, Piskunov is incessantly searching for meaning and answers, but most significantly, a keen observer of humanity, people, and their desires.

INTERVIEW

Sergey, welcome back to Al-Tiba9 magazine. First of all, what have you been doing since our last interview last summer? Are you working on any new interesting project?

I created a new series of works with masks and a few more non-serial paintings during this time. At the moment, I am also working on a large series of mice (the first few works from this series can already be seen), and also soon I plan to show a series of works created in virtual reality.

Let’s talk about your Balloon series. What is the main idea behind these paintings? 

The balloon itself is quite a suitable object for hyperrealism, plus everything I like to capture bright and voluminous objects in my paintings. In this series, I wanted to remove the feeling of flatness as much as possible so that the viewer had the impression that only the scotch tape did not allow this ball to fly up from the canvas. So I had to work a little with shadows, light, and perspective.

Where did you get this imagery from? And why did you choose balloons? 

Many ideas for paintings are born spontaneously or modified in the process of creating some images. It is difficult for me to track where the ideas come from: some of them are the result of several days of thinking, and some are born completely spontaneously.

You have a very meticulous art practice. Do you ever experience creative blocks?

Each painting has its own story. Sometimes, I change the color of a painting that has been already finished for a long time. Before there were often cases when it took me a long time to look for a solution to some technical element, it often takes a long time to think over an idea for an upcoming series and look for ways to implement it.

Your paintings often depict colorful and pop elements. What is your take and relationship with pop culture? What do you find fascinating about it? 

To be honest, I have nothing to do with pop culture and rarely come across it. I just like bright and simple objects. I love the feeling of lightness that they bring with them. Series with mice, balloons, or sweets are just such. Despite the same technical complexity as portrait series, they are perceived by me completely differently. They have some kind of echo of childhood and lightness.

You are very active on the market. How do you cultivate a collector base?

For a long time, social networks have changed our everyday life and, among other things, have strongly influenced art in general and its demonstration to the viewer. Although traditional expositions are very important, especially for hyperrealism, since no other way can convey the feeling of a painting as seeing it live, social networks and media also play a very important role in promoting and demonstrating my work.

Who is your typical collector that purchases your paintings?

Not sure I can answer this question since my works are in private collections around the world. Plus there is no universal portrait of my collector since I have a lot of works that differ greatly in genre from each other. Everyone probably finds something of their own in a certain picture.

Over the last year, we saw an increasing number of online exhibitions. What are your thoughts about online presentations? Do you think these are good opportunities, or just a pastime before going back to real exhibitions?

The previous year didn't really leave much choice. Despite all the advantages of online exhibitions, the ease of access to them from anywhere in the world, and the opportunity to see an unlimited number of works without leaving home, the problem is that you can never convey the feeling that would be when viewing works live. I have a pretty good attitude towards online exhibitions, and I think they will develop more and more in the future. Nevertheless, in terms of conveying sensations, it's like traveling the world through Google Maps.

Is there one thing you have discovered, or a lesson you have learned, over the last year due to the pandemic that you will keep with you in the future?

I cannot say that the routine of my life has changed a lot with the advent of the pandemic, but nevertheless, this time turned out to be quite difficult for each of us. I do not know what lessons can be learned. Perhaps it is worth appreciating those basic things we are accustomed to, such as live communication, free movement around the world, and even in our own city.

And finally, as always, tell our readers about your plans. Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

There are many plans, but let's see which of them will be possible to implement. I can say for sure that before the summer, I will make a large series of mice, each of which will have its own unique history of creation and have distinctive technical features, and I hope that I will soon be able to show a series of works performed in virtual reality.