Igor Kufayev

Igor Anvar Kufayev ( born January 5,1966, Tashkent, Uzbekistan ) is a Russian British artist and yogi. Classically trained from the age of 12, Kufayev is regarded by some art critics to be an important painter of the 90-s in London. Though hardly known to a wider public his works nevertheless are amongst the best art collections. The subject of his work is metaphysical in nature with occasional allusions to mythological themes.

An early interest towards spirituality lead to his practice of Yoga and Transcendental Meditation, founded by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In his mid-thirties he undertook TM-Sidhi program, an advanced Yogic Flying Technique, which brought about his personal transformation. He has been a resident of London since summer 1991.

Art

...Based squarely on the inspirations of older masters, his work embraces basic, human themes which by their very nature apply to everyone, everywhere. Taking the human body as a starting point, Kufayev strips it bare to expose it to the elements - in his case, hot desert reds and dried earth hues which reinforces their starkness. Kufayev is unforgiving and seemingly cruel in this ground expose... Working steadily he captures moments and isolates particular instances which for him have direct and sometimes poignant roots. Figures appealing to the empty skies, bodies prostrate in the ground, a figure half hidden by dramatic mists - all these possesses a certain power and undeniable attraction... Robin Dutt, art section of What's On, July 13th, 1994, London.

...How many know of Igor Kufayev, another driven painter, scrupulous draughtsman, intellect and imagination wrestling with seemingly equal force... Brian Sewell, The Evening Standard [1], 25 May 2001, London.

Early years

In his teens he attended a private studio of an artist Shamil Rakhimov in his native town. Kufayev received his formal education at the Art Collage in Tashkent, and after two years of compulsory military service, resumed his studies at the Theater and Art Institute, at the department of Mural painting. In 1988 he has been accepted as a student of a second year to the Academy of Arts [now Imperial Academy of Arts] in St Petersburg, Russia, where independently of his official program, he studied and painted directly from the great masterpieces of western art, in the Hermitage Museum.

In 1990 Kufayev left Russia and moved to Warsaw, Poland. This was a formative time. He felt compelled to improvise, consciously responding to his increased awareness of the Art of the 20th century. Encounter with well known art critic Andrzej Matynia lead to Kufayev's first solo exhibition, Eternal Compromise [2], at the Monetti Gallery, in Warsaw. Followed by his second solo exhibition and an invitation to take part in the show Meeting of Sacred Images, at the The National Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw, Poland. Subsequently he moved to London.