PETER'S CREATURES

Press release

From November 17th to December 11th the ASKERI GALLERY will host a solo exhibition of the American artist Peter Opheim – "Peter's Creatures". The fabulous and unique world of Peter Opheim begins with miniature models of future characters made of multicolored polymer clay. Despite the unusual appearance, each figure has its own prototype, name or history, which turn it into an individual, bright and characteristic image. At the next stage of the work, the artist transfers his hero to the canvas, creating a ceremonial pictorial portrait of a large format. Thus, Peter Opheim inspires new life into the methods of work of Old Masters who made small clay models for their compositions or worked with a mannequin dressed in the costume of the portrait customer. However, in his practice, Peter relies primarily on the sensory perception of the moment, because his characters are distinguished by independence and independent character. Peter Opheim's paintings are windows into an amazing universe hidden in the soul of every adult. In it, the earliest experiences and impressions merge with the secret desires, emotions and anxieties of maturity. Peter Opheim skillfully embodies on canvas this contradictory mixture of internal human states in the form of playful and frightening biomorphic images. Peter Opheim's unique technique bridges the gap between painting and plastic: the images on his canvases seem almost three-dimensional, and the use of bold color combinations turns the models into an independent work of polychrome sculpture.

Artists