Exhibition of Buryat Artist Zorikto Dorzhiev Opens in Irkutsk
Today in Irkutsk, the Bronstein Gallery opened a personal exhibition of Buryat artist Zorikto Dorzhiev. Some call him a living classic because the master«s works have been exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Oriental Art, and many world galleries. For Irkutsk residents, he is a good old acquaintance, as his canvases are being brought to our city for the third time. The current project is titled »Awakening« (6+). The editorial team of IrCity visited the exhibition and will now tell what interesting things can be seen there.
Zorikto Dorzhiev is one of the most recognizable contemporary Russian artists, whose work combines academic painting with Buryat cultural tradition. Dorzhiev is known for his images of nomads and philosophical view of the steppe, memory, and identity. His works have been exhibited in Russia and abroad, including participation in the Venice Biennale. He has also worked as a costume designer in film and holds the title of Honored Artist of Buryatia.
Gallery staff noted that Dorzhiev exhibits in Irkutsk precisely every five years. There is no hidden meaning or pre-planned periodicity to this. It«s just that circumstances have unfolded this way for some reason. First, Zorikto exhibited here in 2016, then in 2021, and now it has happened again.
«We haven»t seen such excitement around the opening of a new project in a long time,« admitted gallery director Olga Bronstein.
The exhibition «Awakening» is a selection of Zorikto Dorzhiev«s paintings from the last six years. Just by looking at them, you understand that the artist remains true to himself but is not afraid to experiment with subjects, images, and ways of presenting them to the viewer.
His characters, on one hand, are bearers of Buryat culture and mythology; they are not always earthly and tangible, but always quiet and wise. On the other hand, Zorikto very subtly and delicately weaves them into modernity, so sometimes they wear sneakers, listen to a player, and apply face masks.
By the way, about masks. The artist himself called this work ironic because it captures women«s struggle for eternal life, beauty, and youth.
And this work is called «Jade Buddha». Zorikto says that this color was not chosen by chance. First, jade is a precious stone, something that does not lose significance over the years. Second, these colors allow the viewer not to associate the depicted elder with anything earthly. He has long not belonged to the world of people; he observes it from the outside.
The Buddha«s eyes are closed because, as the artist himself believes, open eyes are openness to the world, and it is not always kind.
«I try to hide the eyes of my characters,» explained Zorikto to the exhibition guests. This is how he protects them from evil.
«Jade Buddha» has a pair—another Buddha that hangs on the opposite wall of the hall. It is the same color and in the same setting, but already turned to face the viewer. Zorikto admitted that it took him great effort to overcome himself and depict it not from the back. The artist is convinced that when the viewer does not see the face, they can complete the image better than the author himself would have.
«Moreover, when working with one plane, from one angle, it is difficult to look at the thing from another side. It was hard for me to imagine how he looks,» smiles Zorikto Dorzhiev.
Also on display are variations of funeral and combat male masks. The first served people to preserve the face of the deceased for the afterlife. The second—so as not to lose it in battle.
Both compositions are complemented by silicone masks—a sign of our time.
Zorikto admits that in most of his works (not only in this exhibition, but in general) besides green and blue, black and white are always used. For him, they are like a tuning fork from which the artist takes his reference.
«The Impressionists, when they went out to work in the field, took with them a black cylinder and white gloves. This was so that before the riot of colors, there was always some reference point, so as not to lose connection with the world,» noted Dorzhiev.
In this painting, which is called «A Thin Thread», the artist«s sister is depicted.
«I wanted to capture that feeling that an older brother has towards a younger sister. We are connected. Yes, we communicate with each other, are territorially close to each other, but nevertheless, each has their own life. And these are my inner experiences on this topic,» confessed the artist.
The work «There Will Be Soft Rain» is Zorikto Dorzhiev«s reflection on already created artistic works: the poem of the same name by American poet Sara Teasdale and the story by Ray Bradbury. Both writers ponder what will happen if humanity ceases to exist on Earth.
«The poetess reasons that nature will not go anywhere; it will live. Beautiful flowers will bloom, forests will grow, fields will flower, beautiful streams will flow, and there will be soft rain. Bradbury fantasizes about what will happen if a nuclear apocalypse occurs on Earth. I, for my part, also reflect on this. And I also like to make remakes of famous masterpieces. This time, I took a well-known theme and experienced it in my own way,» said Zorikto Dorzhiev.
The exhibition of Zorikto Dorzhiev will be on display at the Bronstein Gallery until 24 May. Ticket prices: from 250 to 450 rubles (approximately $3 to $5 at current rates).
