Marsel Yalalov
Marsel Yalalov
Marsel Yalalov was born in 1980 in Orenburg, Russia. Graduated from art school majoring in easel painting and received his MFA from Orenburg State University, graphic design department. Since 2006, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia. After moving to Moscow, he graduated from the special course "New artistic strategies" at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Moscow. He is a participant in various group exhibitions and festivals. He is a recipient of the Black Square National Award in the field of contemporary art. He works in figurative painting using mixed media (oil, acrylic, spray paint, print). In his paintings, he displays surreal environments and reflects on the interaction of the real and virtual worlds, mimicking digital files, which in turn mimic the physical world. The works of Marsel are in private collections in Russia, the USA, and Canada. He currently lives and works in Moscow.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work?
From a technical point of view, this is oil paint on canvas. However, it's far more complex than that. The difficulty of creating the work was in mimicry of a graphic computer file, achieving RGB color in the background. I like to combine classical painting techniques and digital art. I believe that this is a kind of symbiosis of the real and digital world.
Marsel in his studio
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, I am working on developing the topic of digital presence, it seems fascinating to me. I experiment a lot with different mediums: oil, acrylics, spray paint, printing techniques.
You have a bold use of space and color in your work; it is completely captivating. Can you talk about how your composition works in your practice?
I use a large empty space and deliberately fill it with color, I like constraining an object in its own vacuum. There is a feeling of collage and at the same time it is a "digital file." In my opinion, this is a relevant approach to art in our time.
Marsel in his studio
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'm interested in the contemporary world, especially observing and capturing the interaction between two realities: actual and digital. I rely on my own feelings and experiences, I think that this episode or another, a certain marker of our time, if it catches me, then I work with it.
Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design? Now that the art has an online presence has that changed?
The main source of information is the Internet, Instagram, news publications on arts and culture. I just like to stay connected with the world online, surfing the Internet. In Moscow, I like the Multimedia Art Museum and the Triumph Gallery. There are many interesting projects and exhibitions happening there.
Marsel Yalalov
Porn, 2018.
Oil on canvas.
47 x 47 inches (119.38 x 119.38 cm).
$2000
Do you have any shows coming up? Anything else you would like to share?
On May 13, we opened a two-person exhibition Untitled_1 with Sofia Yalalova. It will be on until May 23. In June and July, there are two group exhibitions coming up in Moscow, Russia. Stay tuned!
Marsel Yalalov’s work is included in our show “The Alternative States,” May 3 - June 30, 2021. Visit his Instagram (@marsel.yalalov) to see more of his work.