Artist Biography

Chernov, Pavel



Pavel Chernov was born in the town of Kemerovo. He was fortunate to begin his study of art during his school years at the Art Studio in Kemerovo. It became obvious to his professors that Pavel was an extremely talented student, and he was sent from the Art Studio to the Leningrad School for Young Talents; a school organized by the Academy of Fine Arts.

With the commencement of the Great Patriotic War, young Chernov interrupted his studies, joined the army and was immediately assigned to the front line. In the miniscule free time he had, Chernov sketched and painted studies of his comrades and his surroundings. Later in his lifetime, an entire exhibition was devoted to these works painted during his wartime years. Following the war, Pavel Chernov returned to Leningrad to reinstate himself in the Academy of Fine Arts where Boris Ioganson, a renowned master of Russian art, became his professor. Following the war and his re-entry into the Academy, Pavel developed an interest in painting animals. He attempted to depict distinguishing characteristics of an eclectic category of animals by observing their movements, idiosyncrasies and inherent traits.

The president of the Academy, Igor Grabar, was impressed by the series in which Chernov featured animals. The paintings were sent to the International Art Exhibition in the USA. After graduation from the Academy, Pavel Chernov returned to Kemerovo. He focused on the painting of portraits, attempting to capture the psychological nature of his subjects. Included in these portraits were the paintings TEACHER PONOMOREVA, GYPSY, GIRL SVETLANA, and MILKMAID UASTYUZHANINA. In viewing these portraits, one internalizes the character and mood of the subject as expressed on canvas by Chernov. Chernov appreciated compositions of children and the pathos evoked by the painting of children. His own warm childhood reflections influenced his creativity and the expansion of this theme. Such works as AT HOME WITH THE BOOK, FRIENDS WITH SUNFLOWERS and THREE FRIENDS are considered invaluable and were purchased by the Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk Fine Arts Museums.

In the 1970’s, Chernov focused on developing his talent in the arena of still lifes. Through such paintings, Chernov began to initiate a different technique. His use of colour became more expressive. Chernov felt “the artist must paint with delight!” His accomplishments are a part of the collections of the Cultural Fund of Siberia, the Fine arts Museums in Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk and Omsk. They are also found in private collections in Moscow and St. Petersburg.