Alexey Yakovlev

Alexey in his studio.

Alexey Yakovlev is an artist living and working in Russia. He works primarily in painting with a focus on portraiture. His work is currently included in Project Gallery V’s exhibition “The Alternative States.”

Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work? 

I arrive at my studio at about 9 o'clock in the morning. I drink tea or coffee, and give myself some time before work. I can look at albums with artists or read a book. Currently, I am reading Salinger's stories.

I make a sketch for a new work in oil with the addition of turpentine, or continue to work on a painting I have already started. As a rule, I work until about 6 pm, taking several breaks during the day.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I am working on a portrait of a girl named Lisa, whom I photographed on the street, and she turned out to be an artist herself. I loved her blue hair and butterfly wing makeup on her eyes.

Works in Alexey’s studio.

The two works included in our show seem like a break from your other portraiture work. What are the portraits you have been working on recently? Who have you been painting?

Studio view of Alexey’s studio.

I made portraits of different people, for example, my father. Now I am working on a series of portraits of young people. These can be my acquaintances or strangers whom I meet and photograph on the street. If I like how a person looks, I go up to him or her, say that I am an artist and take some photographs for a portrait, and if they do not mind, I snap a picture of them.

At some point, I wanted to make a series of adolescent people, to show the time when a person is full of hopes, dreams and fantasies. There is some uncertainty inherent in this age and it is a kind of freedom that many of us lose as we get older. The size of these portraits is 150 x 120 cm.

What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?

I am fascinated by portraiture. Clothes, eyes, hand position - all this can speak volumes. The portrait often combines both landscape and still life.

I especially love the work of black artists, there is a certain magic in them. I love to look at the work of Henry Taylor, Amy Sherald, Jordan Casteel, Gerald Lovell, and Amoako Boafo.

At the moment I am focused on the theme of the teenage spirit, it is present in all of us.

Works in progress.

Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design? Now that the art has an online presence has that changed?

I regularly visit the Artsy, where I learn a lot of interesting things from the art world. For me, little has changed since art has become more widely represented on the Internet. I view the bulk of the works online.

Do you have any shows coming up? Anything else you would like to share?

At the moment I have no upcoming exhibitions, but that may change.

Alexey Yakovlev’s work is included in our show “The Alternative States,” May 3 - June 30, 2021. Visit his Instagram (@alexeyyakovlev_) to see more of his work.