Alexander Maslak graduated from the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia in the early 1980s. He was a student in the studio of the artist and academic, Mylnikov, the current vice president of the Russian Academy of Arts and considered by many to be the Salvador Dali of Russian art. In that studio he became a recognized master of portraiture art. Alexander also attended classes in the composition of landscapes and military paintings. Upon graduation he was drafted into the Navy where he painted most of the famous Russian leaders of the last half of the 20th Century. His nickname in the Navy was Aivazovsky, after the famous painter of the "Ninth Wave" in the Russian State Museum. Alexander is currently a teacher of art at the Junior Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg and has had several successful exhibits in Paris and London. M&M Art is fortunate to him on its staff of recognized Russian Master Painters.

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Ekaterina Nikiporenko was another child prodigy produced in the tradition of so many St. Petersburg artists. She entered the St. Petersburg State Art Lyceum of Art (The St. Petersburg Junior Academy of Arts) and graduated with the highest honors in 1973. Ekaterina was selected to attend the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts and she studied in the prestigious Painting Faculty, Portrait Studio, under the personal tutelage of Russian National artist, V.M. Oreshnikov. After a five year course in which Ekaterina earned her High Diploma at the Academy, Ekaterina demonstrated such a rare talent as a portrait artist, she was given three additional years of post graduate study at the Russian Academy and was allowed to study abroad in Italy from 1979 until 1982.

She was honored to have been chosen to teach at the Junior Academy of Arts in 1983 and for the past seventeen years she has served as the manager of Art instruction. Her works have been exhibited all over Russia in countless exhibitions. She is most famous for her portraits in the Serov style and her paintings are in private collections in Finland, Italy, Germany, England, and the United States.

Ekaterina Nikiporenko has been commissioned to paint numerous paintings for M&M Art Ltd. customers over the past several years. Each effort has been a tremendous success and she is equally adept at painting individual or family portraits. She works in pastels as well as oils. References are available upon request. As with any M&M artist, her work is guaranteed. She accepts commissions of any kind and will be doing a personal exhibit in the United States in the summer of 2000.

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Eugenie Gradova is the most prolific Russian Theater Artist represented by M&M Art Ltd. in the United States. Eugenie graduated from the St. Petersburg State Art Lyceum of the Academy of Arts. Upon graduation in 1965, she was admitted as a theater art student at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. Eugenie graduated with a high diploma in 1971. As a result of her reputation as a talented artist, she was immediately in great demand. She worked all over the old USSR in very prestigious theaters in many cities to include Kotlas, Comsomolk Na Amure, Leningrad, Stavropol, Swerdlovsk, and Sevastopol.

Eugenie was one of the youngest Theater Artists ever to be entrusted with the title of "Lead artist", and some of her most famous works include the epic production for Russian children, "Puss N Boots". She was the primary artist responsible for "The Barber of Seville", "Strange People", "Groza", "Blonde Girl", "Galoshes of Happiness", "Carlson and Baby", "My Little Tree in a Red Kerchief", "Liar", "Last Love", "Madama Butterfly", and many others too numerous to mention here. Eugenie, as all theater artists do, works primarily in watercolors, but she is a master of all mediums of art. She was able to retain several sets of copies of her most famous works and has graciously consented to offer them for sale to the American public. Each of her pieces is reviewed by an official of the Russian Ministry of Culture and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Eugenie is also well known for her ability to recreate the beautiful art works of the Japanese Masters of block prints from the last five hundred years. She has been exhibited all over Russia to include St. Petersburg and Moscow. Her two largest exhibits in the United States were at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC and at the Russian Federation Embassy in an exhibit sponsored by "Architectural Digest". More information about her works in our inventory is available upon request as are references from previous clients.

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Mikhail Nikiporenko is an extraordinary pastel Artist. He was born in 1953, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Recognized as a child prodigy, he was admitted as a student into the Junior Academy of Arts. Upon completion of his studies there, he took the competitive examination for entrance into the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. In 1978 he was awarded dual degrees as an artist and an architect. His high diploma in art was issued in red indicating his selection as a student of the highest accomplishments. While a student, Mikhail was directly influenced by the collected works of the Russian Masters Aivasovsky, Shishkin, Repin, Levitan, and Surikov. Even today, it is possible to see a relationship between the works of these world famous turn of the Century Russian Masters and Mikhail's art.

In 1986 Mikhail Nikiporenko was recognized as a special talent by the eminent Swedish art collector, Dr. Peter Dick Rosstadt, of Askersund, Sweden. Dr. Rosstadt described Mikhail’s work, "as that of the brightest pastel artist to have come from Russia in the last one hundred years." By 1991 Mikhail was a featured artist at the Palitra Gallery and the St. Petersburg Art Salon (SPAS). Mikhail is best noted in his native Russia for his romantic scenes of the ocean and his realistic landscapes. Mikhail is committed to portraying nature as closely as he can to the way the Lord created it. "The natural state is the best state and it is the responsibility of the artist to avoid allowing his ego to interfere with the way God made nature."

One must see a Nikiporenko seascape to realize how an artist truly can capture the movement of water and how moonlight enhances its beauty. His seas can calm or stormy but in either case they are unforgettable. His still life paintings of roses fresh with drops of dew in chalk have to be seen to be believed. Mikhail's affinity for nature is undeniable and constitutes the strength of his work. His craftsmanship is obvious for all to see, and it does not take a trained eye to realize his art belongs to the ages. In 1993, Mikhail met Dr. Michael E. Donnelly, the only American post graduate student ever admitted to the Academy of Arts. A lifetime bond was established. Dr. Donnelly now buys every piece of art that Mikhail paints. Elizabeth's State Thomas Gallery is proud to announce that it is the only gallery west of the Mississippi River to feature Mikhail's work. East of the Mississippi, the only gallery that can sell Michael's work is the Left Bank Gallery of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Mikhail Nikiporenko's art was first exhibited in the United States at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. The last day of the exhibit the general public was invited for a special exhibit on a Monday when the museum is normally closed. Of the nine pieces exhibited, four were sold during the four hours that the pastels were offered for sale. In May of 1996, Architectural Digest sponsored a Russian Masters exhibit at the Russian Federation Embassy in Washington DC. There were twenty-eight artists featured and more of Mikhail Nikiporenko's works were sold than the combined total of all the other artists.

In 1998 Mikhail was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Museum to create in pastel a depiction of the famous Son Tay raid by Special Forces from Fort Bragg, NC. The museum association made prints of the original which hangs in the museum and raised tens of thousands of dollars for a planned museum expansion. Mikhail has also done work for the American Red Cross in order to raise funds for that organization. His original works have been sold at featured exhibits throughout the American Southeast and at the well known resort, the Cloister, at St. Simons Island.

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Vyacheslav Chernakov was born fifty years ago in Belarus. He attended the Academy of Arts in Minsk and became an artist of great renown in the greater St. Petersburg Region. His paintings are found in the finest galleries of St. Petersburg and he is the favorite painter of Anatoly Yakovlev, the current Governor General of the city. His primary works of art are beautiful watercolor landscapes of the city of St. Petersburg.

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-to be added-

1963 Born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.



1983 Participated Qingdao Art Exhibit.



1984 Participated National Day Celebration Qingdao Art Exhibit.



1985 Received BFA from the Qingdao Educational Universty in Shangdong Province, China.



1985 Assisting Su Boqun to finish large-sized Pines and Cranes and Lao Shan Jade and participated Japan International Art and Crafts Exhibit.



1986 300 pieces of artworks were presented as award to all city's advanced workers and model enterprises by Qingdao Trade Union. Qingdao Daily reported as Tiger Yang in Qingdao. 7 pieces of works won Silver Price at 1st National Tour Artwork Exhibit.



1987 6 embroided paintings won Shangdong Province Excellent Quality Price. Embroided Paintings won Golden Price in Shangdong Provience. Pussy Cat exhibited on 2nd National Arts and Crafts Show and collected in China Art and Crafts Exhibit House.



1988 Cats won 1st Price at Provincial Beauty Cup Art and Design Competition.



1989 30 works shown in Taipei and all sold out. Fragrance of the Snowy Plume collected in Taipei Museum. The call of Earth collected at Shenzhen Art Museum.



1990 14 artworks participated in 8 artists show in Tokyo Art Museum. 100 works sent to Beijing as the gifts to Beijing Authority for the 41st National Day.



1991 15 artworks participated in 8 artists show in Tokyo Art Museum. Artworks collected in 3rd Japan International Painted Exhibit. Warning - Last Day of the World collected in China Art Museum.



1992 Spring in Rain Silver Winner in Contemporary Young Artists Show by Ministry of Culture, China.



1993 Color of Autumn participated in China Artists Associated. Organized Sex and Human Being Exhibit. Organized photo show on 100th Anniversary of Mao Zedong.



1994 Recognized at China Contemporary Famous Painters Art Exhibition Selected in China Contemporary Artists.



1995 Ah Yuan Studio setup in Beijing. Received MFA from the Central Fine Arts University, China.



1996 Art show in Singapore and all 40 artworks sold and collected. Winner of 96' Century Artists and their works show.



1997 Hong Kong Return Art Show, art seminar in Hong Kong, art show in Osaka and invited as guest artist in Empire Art Group Abstract world collected by Osaka Culture and Art Museum.



1998 Ah Yuan was selected in the following books, "Worldwide Chinese Artists", "Worldwide Talented Artists", "Worldwide Talented People", "Chinese Calligraphers and Painters", "Ancient and Modern Artists Dictionary", "Chinese Art Selections", "Chinese Expertise Dictionary", "Chinese Professional Dictionary", "World Chinese Culture Celebrity".



1998 Invited to Russia and Ukraine for art show. "Wealth and Longevity" collected in Urkraine and Western Art Museum. Ah Yuan has also jointed the French International Culture Association.



1999 Invited to Japan for art seminar and culture exchange lecture. Also attend the Art Exhibit and Presentation in San Francisco.



1999 Ah Yuan moved to United States started his western research.



2000 Ah Yuan Studio setup in USA and artworks were published in Chinese LA Daily News and Zhong Guo Daily News.



2001 Established Global Cultural and Economic Exchange Association.



2002 Ah Yuan's Cherish Peace Art foundation and C&S Media International, Inc. organized a memorial event for 911's victim, "Moving away from Terrorism and Violence, by moving toward Love and Peace". Ah Yuan had completed and donated a 8 feet huge painting during the live performance of the dancing band "Liquid Blue".



2003 Ah Yuan was awarded "International Excellent Artist" certification by Mayor of Monterey Park in California.

Modern St. Petersburg artist

Modern St. Petersburg artist

Modern St. Petersburg artist

Modern St. Petersburg artist

Modern St. Petersburg artist

Robert Miph was born in 1966, in Kazan, Russia.
In 1977 he was admitted as a student into the Junior art school #1 in the local town Nijnikamsk. Upon completion of his studies in 1982, he attended Kazan art high school, and studied art design.
From 1986 – 1989 – He served in the Soviet Army.
From 1989 till 1995 he continued his studies in art in St.Peterburg, at the Mukhina Institute of Art and Design.
In 1996 he became a member of the “Union of free artists of St.Peterburg”.
His works are in many private collections in Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Finland and USA.
His works have been shown at following exhibitions:
-1996 – “Art and drawing exhibit by Union of free artists of St.Peterburg” in the exhibit hall of Mosckovsky region of St.Petersburg.
- “Autumn – 96”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
- “Peterburg – 96”, Central Exhibit Hall “Manege”
- “Christmas Fair of Art”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
-1997 – “Autumn – 97”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
- “Peterburg – 97”, Central Exhibit Hall “Manege”
- Fourth All-Russian exhibit “Russia Orthodox”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
-1998 – XXIII Salon International des Arts. France
- “Festival of Lovers”, Exhibit of modern artists, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
- “Peterburg – 98”, Central Exhibit Hall “Manege”
-2000 – “Autumn – 2000”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
- “Exhibit of modern artists from private collections”, Beloselsky-Belozersky palace
-2001 – “Spring - 2001”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
- Exhibit of modern artists devoted to 10th anniversary of referendum concerning renaming the city of its historical name Sankt – Peterburg, Beloselsky-Belozersky palace
- “Autumn-2001”, Union of Artists of St.Peterburg
-2002 – “Peterburg –2001”, Central Exhibit Hall
- Exhibit “Our city”, Beloselsky-Belozersky palace
- Exhibit of animal art “Zoo art”, Central Exhibit Hall

I am living and creating my paintings in this wonderful city on the Neva, where I like to be and where I feel very comfortable. I am grateful to my destiny that gave me the opportunity to do my beloved job. I paint the things that I really like and admire. This city gives me creative energy and gives me subjects for my new paintings. With great emotion I am waiting for white nights (the most fascinating time of this city). The clarity of its air, the silhouettes of its architectural assembles, the elegant lace of its fences, and its canals and bridges all time admire me.
I love St.Peterburg in rain and in sun, in any season and I am excited and honored to be chosen as an M&M Art Ltd. Artist.

Modern St. Petersburg artist

St. Petersburg artist

Dr. Shilov was born in 1955 in the ancient city of Yaroslavl, Russia. He entered art school in yaroslavl in 1971 and decided he would become a painter of Russian icons in the traditions of past masters from precious centuries. Graduating with honors this motivated talent was accepted into the Russian Academy of Arts in 1977. He studied art in the school of religious painting and received a high diploma as an artist in 1982.

During his education Valery discovered that the history of icons was as fascinating to him as the creation of them. In 1983 he became a candidate for a Ph.D. in the field of ancient architecture and religious images. He completed his post graduate work in 1986 and became a professor of art history at the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. He continues to teach there today in that capacity.

In 1999 he decided to resume his artistic career as well and based on his talent was accepted into the Union of Artists of Russia. His works have appeared in exhibitions all over the old Soviet Union and he has personally participated in the restoration of wall paintings in some of Russia's oldest and most famous churches. He performed this work in yaroslavl, Moscow and several other cities.

He is considered to be an expert in the fild of ancient Russian Religious Art and incidently was the professor in the first class that Dr. Donnelly, the owner of M&M Art Ltd. took as a student at the Academy. He has become a true friend to Dr. Donnelly and often accompanies his tour groups to Novgorod to lecture on the history of that city.

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Modern St. Petersburg artist