Young Russian Artists: The Rite of Spring

The painting is dedicated to the Rite of Spring. The work shows a moment of the sacred rite. The tension reaches a climax. A pair of terrified faces freeze like bizarre ice sculptures. They’re waiting for the advent of spring as they're engulfed by dances, chaos, and a confusion of colours. "Varya Cheltsova was born in 1996. She studied graphic design at Moscow State University before studying art at Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academie. She also works with her artist sister, Sonya, under the name Cheltsoviii creating ceramics in Moscow.

“I started drawing because it was an escape for me, a way to relax and focus on the things I love, it’s like meditation. Most of the time the images come to me on their own accord and are determined by the medium I choose for my drawings. Many of the creatures I draw are the shadows of animals and people, they are ethnic and eclectic. I like making things come to life, like when a painting transforms into something larger and grander – this is where my work with wood, ceramics, and metal comes into play. My dream is to go into set design, to work with images, sound, and light at the same time.” - Varvara Cheltsova, 2021.

Accolades
Education: Graphic Design, Moscow State University, 2015-18. Book in Space, Salzburg, 2018. Art, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam.
Exhibitions: The 12th international Poster Triennial, Toyama, 2018. Library, At Triupf Gallery, Moscow, 2019. blazar, Young art Fair, Moscow, 2020. Animal Kingdom, Personal Exhibition, Lado, Moscow, 2020.

@varya.cheltsova