The opening ceremony of the art show on March 4 was attended by officials of the Ministry of Culture, Moscow’s business community, the broad public and journalists. The exhibition will run through April 18, 2011.

“Lev Snegiryov is an artist of unique talent,” said the director of the museum, Alexander Sedov, in his speech “His creations are laden with meaning, a strong sense of life. His works reflect the twists and turns of time and his vision of reality”.

Lev Sergeyevich Snegiryov, born in 1931 in Marghilan (Ferghana Valley), studied at an art school in Moscow in the 1950’s. After graduating from school, he decided to return to Ferghana as he, in his words, “missed the dry winds”. His love for his motherland turned out to be his most important inspiration. He lived for 30 years in Uzbekistan. It is while in Ferghana that he created his most significant pictures, watercolor works. In 1980, he gave his first solo exhibition in Tashkent, which drew positive reviews from artists and critics.

The artist’s works have been demonstrated in numerous exhibitions in Uzbekistan, Russia and other countries. Some of his works may be found in Savitsky Museum in Nukus, the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan (Tasheknt), Regional Country Studies Museum (Ferghana), the Museum of History (Marghilan) as well as in museums and private collections in the USA, France, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea.

Snegiryov often remembers Uzbekistan which has long been a source of inspiration for him. “Marghilan, where I was born, has nurtured me and has given me strength and inspiration along with contents and sceneries,” he says. “Therefore my pictures cannot serve as decorations for the interior. They come from a completely different world. This place was instrumental in my becoming a true artist.”

The exhibition “Lev Snegiryov. Painting. Graphics” presents works created since the 1960’s as well as collage works. Many of these creations are being showcased in Moscow for the first time, and this is his first major graphics exhibition.

In painting, Snegiryov relies on an original technique: he combines oil with tempera, and sometimes adds tulle or even cement to highlight texture. His works, almost monochrome in color, convey a mysterious light. To achieve this, he uses icon painting techniques which he has also altered: he puts layers of glaze with egg tempera, oil and lacquer upon white oil paint. The resulting layers, able to be seen through another and coupled with the textured surface, creates the impression of live time and space.

“I’m glad to be here today at the exhibition,” says Alexander Volkov, a Russian artist. “We’ve been friends with Lev for quite a long time. We met back in the 60s in Uzbekistan when he lived in his favorite city Marghilan. His art is compelling and filled with love for this motherland. There’s no parade in his works; he portrays simplistic things: streets, trees, fields, winds… all that surrounds man and shows life. His first major exhibition which strongly motivated him took place in the House of Cinema in Tashkent. Since then, he has been a part of our culture as a serious artist.”