The Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas is proud to present Beauty in Passion; a grand exhibition of thirty-five paintings by Russian artist Igor Samsonov. Born in 1963, he studied at the famous Ilya Repin Leningrad Institute for Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. His passion permeates every one of his canvases. Audiences can relate to the beauty portrayed in Samsonov’s artwork as his paintings are pictorial narratives or stories. They are humanity’s stories expressed in his contemporary approach to Classical Realism, delivered with vivid compositions and dazzling colors.
The morals that the paintings teach are widespread, pervasive and universal. Each work of art requires consideration and concentration. The Bible is a primary source for many of the Samsonov lessons. Art Historian and Curator Scott Peck: “The art work is like a magical and enchanted kind of mirror where one can better understand and see one’s self. We seem so desperate for a moral compass today and the artist offers us direction. Samsonov is like a modern day Aesop, telling us stories with lessons that are so desperately needed today.” Come to see the passion of Artist Igor Samsonov and experience his incredible contemporary masterpieces.
Reception: Sunday April 7 from 3-5pm
Beauty in Passion: The Narrative Paintings of Igor Samsonov
April 7 – June 9, 2019
The MBA - Museum of Biblical Art
7500 Park Lane Dallas, TX Across from NorthPark Center 214-368-4622
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 11:00 to 5:00 Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 www.biblicalarts.org
The exhibition is sponsored by Texas Legacy Bank.
Igor Samsonov Biography
Igor Samsonov was born in Voronezh, Russia, on January 7, 1963. He began drawing at a very early age and his parents encouraged his pursuits. However at this time in the Soviet Union, it was very difficult to make a sustainable living as an artist. Samsonov ultimately decided on a career in mathematics and earned the equivalent of a Master’s degree from Voronezh State University. He accepted a job with the Institute of Research, but found himself more and more drawn back to art, especially after viewing some of Van Gogh’s paintings at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). He moved to Leningrad, where he studied at the Ilya Repin Leningrad Institute for Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. He was particularly influenced by his tutor Oleg Eremeev, who advocated not only for technical excellence, but for a painting that had “the artist’s emotional signature.” After graduating from the Repin Academy, Samsonov began his career painting mostly portraits. After a time, however, he felt compelled to create “pure art”, or a type of art that was unique to him and not based on others’ opinions’ or the current market. Samsonov’s work is extremely modern, yet remains classical. He draws from Van Gogh and Matisse in his use of color and Vermeer in his use of light. His paintings are rich with symbolism and tell stories—some well-known, others created by Samsonov himself. He is particularly interested in the themes of transformation and power. For more information about Samsonov and the stories behind his paintings, please reference “Igor Samsonov: Painter and Passionate Visionary” by David Salomon.