Looking Up - 183995

Maya Eventov was born in 1964 in Leningrad, USSR. Her work represents modern Russian avant-gardism. She graduated from art school in 1981 at the High College of Art and Design in Mukhina. She studied in the workshops of famous Leningrad masters: Professor P. Litvinsky, V. Shuvalov and Y. Kazakov. She has also applied her talents to the fields of book illustration and interior design, and as well, a series of wallpapers were produced in Leningrad, Moscow and Erevan based on her sketches. She also took part in the redesign of various sites such as café interiors, cinema halls, and concert halls. The majority of her works are paintings executed in water colors and tempera with mixed techniques. Her works are remarkable for their rich range of colors, vivid individuality and expression. Maya's works can be found in private collections in Russia, Europe, Canada and the U.S.A.

The paintings of Maya Eventov are so rich with color, light and detail that they reflect not only an extraordinary craftsmanship but also a sense of artistic well being and happiness. In the hands of this artist, interiors and still life become extraordinary. The chairs, flowers, harps and Roman pillars take on personas that are sophisticated and rich while also whimsical and fun. Each element has its own independent existence within a unified painting. Maya began her training as a child in the art schools of Leningrad, where she learned painting, drawing and composition. After attending the Leningrad High College of Art and Design named after V. Muhina, Maya worked professionally as a children's book illustrator and wallpaper designer. She also took part in the creation of the murals for cinema and concert halls in Leningrad, Moscow, Erevan and Komsomolsk-na-Amure as well as many private residences in Toronto and Dundas, Ontario. She primarily works in water colors and oil paint and has developed a unique technique combining oil paint with etching. Maya's water colors were published in Valencia, Spain and were introduced as prints for the first time in Europe at Birmingham Art Show '98, in Great Britain.

Maya Eventov grew up in Leningrad in the former Soviet Union.St. Petersburg, as it is now known, is a city fabled for its beauty and culture. At a very young age, her parents introduced her to the great artistic treasures of the city. Countless hours were spent at the magnificent Hermitage Museum studying the works of great masters. The works of the post-impressionists and those of the Russian Avant-Garde especially fascinated Eventov. The palette of Matisse and Gauguin affected her interpretation of the color while Rodchenko and Malevich influenced her sense of balance and composition.

From the age of six onwards, Eventov studied art in one form or another. She was accepted into the prestigious High School #190, which is affiliated with the St. Petersburg State Academy of Industrial and Applied Arts. As a student, she participated in the various state juried exhibitions, but always found them traditional and limited. She much preferred the underground exhibitions organized by the students. After graduating in 1987 with a master’s degree in graphic design, she began working as an illustrator for children’s books.

Eventov took advantage of the fall of the “Iron Curtain” by traveling, exploring the lands of her dreams. In the early 1990’s she immigrated to Canada. Here, she found an immediate appreciation for her artwork and quickly became involved in the local art scene. Today, Eventov and her family reside just outside of Toronto, Ontario.

Eventov continues to travel, finding inspiration for her works in the varied landscapes around the world. Her work is represented in galleries throughout Canada, Great Britain and the United States.

The newest series in Eventov’s artistic exploration of the natural world, the floral works combine dynamic features from throughout her oeuvre.The artist pairs the sweeping palette knife strokes pioneered in her Tuscan skies with the staccato touches of the blades edge seen in her Birch series.

Lush green foliage falls in architectural blooms against bright citrus, rich ochre and burnt vermilion skies. Eventov’s high color reaches a climax in these exotic canvasses, whose intensity of hue evokes quiet, stillness and heat. A variation of this floral theme is based on the boreal forest, whereby a softer and sometimes earthen tonal range is used to blush slender and swaying wild flowers. In this second botanical style, pastels are punctuated with Eventov’s classic bold reds and greens, all rendered with exquisite light effects and trademark texture.

Selected Exhibitions: 1982 Central Exhibition Hall, Leningrad, Russia 1985 Student Exhibition, V. Muhina High College of Art and Design, Russia 1986 Youth Palace, Russia 1991 St. Joseph's Art in May, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 1992 "East Joins West Through Art", Talbot Gallery, St. Thomas, Ontario 1993 Dorland and Height Galleries, Milton, Ontario, Canada 1996 Zigmund Gallery, Burlington, Ontario, Canada 1998 Artexpo 1998, New York, NY, USA 1998 The National Home Show '98, The Toronto Star Dream Home, Ontario, Canada

Private and Corporate Collections: Private Collection of Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada INGRA Financial Group CIBC, North York, Ontario Sheraton Hotel, London, Ontario.