About the artist
Sergei Belikov
Painter, master of the classical school
Born in the USSR, living and working in Finland since 2000.
On painting and meaning
For me, painting is not a way to express myself, but a way to see the world.
In every portrait I search not for effect, but for essence — for that which makes a person recognizable, living, real.
The classical school teaches responsibility toward form, colour, and light.
These laws are immutable — they cannot be bypassed by fashion or concept.
Within them lies respect for the viewer, for nature, and for the very act of depiction.
I believe that true painting does not age.
Technique
I work in the multi-layered technique of oil painting. Each layer is built sequentially, from the underpainting to the transparent glazes.
The multi-layer technique opens boundaries between dimensions:
volume begins to live on a flat surface, the past meets the future.
It is a slow, contemplative process — like the breathing of the painting, in which its depth and light are born.
This is how works are created that preserve the depth and density of colour for decades.
On mastery
I strive to unite precision and soulfulness, the material and the unseen.
My aim is not simply to reproduce a face, but to convey character, inner presence, a human being’s silence and breath.
Short biography
Born in 1967, USSR.
Has lived and worked in Finland since 2000.
Participant of exhibitions in Finland, Russia, Europe, and the USA.
Works are held in private collections in Finland, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Italy, France, and the USA.