Walera Martynchik

Walera Martynchik was born in the post war Soviet Union in Belarus. His artistic style was formed in 60s and 70s, when only propaganda art existed and was allowed. But the first political and cultural liberalisation “The Thaw” had lifted the heavy “Iron Curtain” and through the narrow gap information (images) had flooded libraries, art magazines and museums. Only at that time young artist in the former USSR learned that Modern Art does exist, and most shockingly was the fact that the provincial Belorussian town Vitebsk in the 20th was the place where the revolution in visual art took place (where Mark Chagall was born, Kazimir Malevich thought up his theories, and suprematists and constructivists laid foundation of new aesthetics.) The tradition of Avant-garde culture was inspiring for the young artist but contradicted the repressive practice of the Soviet Art education. Any attempts to experiment provoked suppressive measures as expulsions, stripping of scholarship and conspiracy, the underground existence was only the option for creative person to survive as an artist at that time.

Since graduating from Belarusian Academy of Fine Arts in 1972, Walera Martynchik had been developing his unique style based on continuation Russian Avant-Garde tradition, emerging at that time computing art and philosophy of complexity. He called his first large compositions Zones. Paradoxically, in spite of been a synonym for prison camps his canvases had been the only zones of freedom for almost 20 years of total conspiracy, lack of exhibition and contacts with international world of culture.

In the 70s, Walera had a chance to visit studios of underground artists in Moscow well known now as Celkov, Yankelevsky and Rabin which had profound stimulating effect on his art. After Perestroika he was a founder and a curator of “Forma” the very first group of underground artists in Belarus. Creating such a group his aim was to demonstrate that independent cultural movement had existed not only in Moscow but in other cities and places but deep underground. Since 1990 Walera lives and exhibits internationally in the UK.