The Art of Sergey Piskunov: A Revelation in Reality

Sergey Piskunov is a genre-defying painter passionately committed to exploring the core principles of hyper-realism to redefine the genre with his breathtaking works. The Ukrainian artist creates a stunning anthology of works which he sees as a “burst of emotion”, forcing the artist to turn inside out his soul and leave it on the canvas.

His accomplished background and education as a computer system engineer may differ greatly from his career as an international artist globally exhibiting and creating works in Ukraine, Germany, UK, USA, Switzerland and beyond. But it is perhaps his unusual beginnings that make the artist so very exceptional. Piskunov’s primary focus and area of work is a unique approach to hyper-realistic painting, which utilizes his courage as an artist creating both intuitively and instinctively, he infuses his works with a spirit of harmony and balance, that is then juxtaposed with a distinctive and hypnotic edge.

Piskunov creates work that moves seamlessly between many approaches to realism, while always remaining committed to the truth of his subjects and their stories. Piskunov’s striking paintings go far beyond hyper-realism, drawing the viewer into an enigmatic, transformative, exotic and sensual world of fantasy, seduction, and spirit. His paintings form an interior dialogue on the intersections of space, place, time, memory, culture, and history. His art emphasizes an aesthetic that is at once alluring, sensual and salacious, yet intensely intimate and personal. Whether the Piskunov is painting an intimate portrait, a narrative scene or even a still life his style is always grounded in the internal, the psychology of people, places, and symbolism.

Many of Piskunov’s works depict an intimate connection to women, his respect and admiration is clear; he documents the glory, strength and fragility of women. By recording their stories and experiences visually in his work, he gives them significance, acknowledging the beauty, melancholy, and history. He does so by layering vibrant colors, and complex compositions that combine areas of intense detail with cinematic negative space, allowing the subject to really become the focus, and always leaving the viewer wanting more.

In the same vein as other hyper-realist artists Will Cotton, Bodin Jacques, Chuck Close, or Ron Mueck, Piskunov’s work is often is metaphorical. In his case, by focusing on portraiture and still life as a primary source of subject Piskunov synthesizes historical and contemporary styles, creating evocative images that examine tradition and history within the context of modern art, and the role of the artist as the creator of experience. His art evokes a sense of abundance, they are suspended moments of reality-embodying an intense and energetic physicality. Piskunov’s work creates a type of visual sound through composition and color—the work is made to listen to.

Piskunov is a rare observer free from the restrictions and stereotypes of many artists because he refuses to be limited to one singular subject, market trend or approach. Piskunov is the embodiment of a free artist, independent of market trends, whose faithful compass and guide is the perception of the world through the prism of his own inspiration and talent. His art is ultimately an evocative, intense, and sometimes surreal symphony of beauty and tension that provides the viewer with meditative explorations of both familiar and foreign realities. As an artist Piskunov is incessantly searching for meaning and answers, but most significantly, a keen observer of humanity, people and their desires.