I think for all recognised artists throughout the ages, historically there is always a connection with certain places and periods that are of great importance to them. I certainly feel deeply bound to Russia and particularly the cultural period between 1700–1850 (excerpt from radio interview Voice Of Russia), where such great artistic heights were to occur in every field that for me looking back strikes of heady days with lives lived out to the very full.

from the exhibition ‘Rastvoyrennaya Pechal’, Triumph Gallery, Moscow.

When I first moved to Moscow to work on the exhibition ‘Rastvoyrennaya Pechal’ (dissolved sadness) I visited the Tretyakov Gallery and, amongst the many great masterpieces on display, encountered one painting that I fell in love with instantly: Princess Tarakanova by Konstantin Flavitsky.

‘Princess Tarakanova’, image courtesy Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

The mystery behind the story only deepens the interest this painting has for its viewers. For me it became a beautiful, tragic, and utterly sublime tale — a refuge from my self-imposed Red October studio lockdown. The vast underground space without windows blurred the days as they ebbed away, filled with deliveries, socialites, night crawlers, and artistic inquisitors. The studio itself felt like a flooded prison, and I was the imposter.

The underground Red October Studio in Moscow where I lived and worked. The space was intentionally flooded with black water as an installation work.

Flavitsky adhered to classical traditions, depicting the great tragedy and suffering of Princess Tarakanova facing certain death in a flooded dungeon. The painting embodies helplessness and despair with extraordinary sensitivity and restraint.

‘Arcana’, unique chromogenic print, 2014
from the exhibition ‘Rastvoyrennaya Pechal’, Triumph Gallery, Moscow.

What is striking is how deeply versed the Russian public are in their own cultural heritage. Each encounter reinforced this awareness, and with it my enduring connection to Russian culture.

Russia may not chase fashion, particularly in the arts, but it holds deep respect for artists and the perception of a life’s work. A lifelong dedication to practice is met with sustained curiosity and reverence — a lesson worth remembering.