Born in 1979 in Kirowo-Tschepezk, a small town in the north of Russia, Konstantin Sotnikov's artistic talent can be regarded as a gift from birth. In his father's family there are several artists and the parental art library fascinated him even as an infant. The mythical creatures of Hieronymus Bosch, the icons of Andrei Rublev and medieval miniatures had a magical attraction for him. From 1991 to 1996 Sotnikov studied at the Academy in Tambovsk, Russia and received a comprehensive artistic training there in terms of composition, art history and related fields, as well as sculpture, drawing from models. After his first visit to Germany in 1996, he decided to make the country his main place of residence. The language and culture of the country attracted him and in 2003 he went to Hamburg to study art education at the university. Supported by Professor Werner Buttner, in 2007 he transferred to the Hochschule für bildende Künste (University of Fine Arts) and now focuses exclusively on painting. In the inspiring environment of the university he had the opportunity to try out different styles and to gain some initial experience with the art market. In 2005 he met art collector Magdalena Rysopp who granted him a studio scholarship, giving him the encouragement to continue working and to believe in his imagery. After completing his art studies in 2010, Sotnikov moved to a new studio in the heart of Hamburg city centre. He devotes himself to his art with the utmost dedication and with fresh ideas. Intensive interactions with collectors, gallery owners, critics and fellow artists during this period had a significant impact on his development. This also included an encounter with the entrepreneur and patron Christian Zott, who supports his work and who has now become a personal friend. Stotnikov creates his art with an impressive amount of energy. This produces a very different world of subjects reflecting dazzling power and transcultural, transtemporal expression. "What I am interested in is the interplay of provocation, religions and references from mythology to the modern," he says. These transformations have also found expression in his three-dimensional works crafted from wood, plaster and bronze. Konstantin Sotnikov lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.weiterlesen