Svetlana Valueva

SVETLANA VALUEVA — Nostalgia for the elevated, magnificent “silver age” of Russia has drawn Svetlana Valueva to the past, a period known in the West as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, or Liberty. This is where the characters of Svetlana’s paintings are destined to dwell.

Says Valueva “It’s hard today to trace back the origins of my affinity for Art Nouveau, a style which emerged on the brink of the 20th century. I feel I was destined to love this art from birth. This elaborate, refined, truly aristocratic style, regardless of subject matter, conversely captures the fragility of all earthbound existence. Decadence became second nature to me, its’ reflection in my works, again being created at the crossroads of centuries”.

In Valueva's paintings, women often live in a mystical world, surrounded by bizarre forms, signs and objects: a world real to them, to be taken seriously. “Mirror of Art Nouveau”, her first collection, was twelve works about love, life and beauty.“ “My female friends; an actress, a fashion designer and a photographic artist, were the prototypes for my characters”, says Valueva.

Designing costumes for these models, she drew numerous preliminary sketches. After six months, her subjects appeared unlike themselves, having lost the aura of earthly problems. Valueva peers into an inner spiritual world and expresses that on canvas.

After the Show by Valueva 30 x 15	Autumn Nymph by Valueva 48 x 24	Awakening of Spring by Valueva 24 x 48
Idyll by Valueva 36 x 24	Eternal Dream by Valueva 48 x 24	Dream by Valueva 24 x 40
Nouveau Goddess by Valueva 36 x 24	Orchid by Valueva 48 x 24	Fall by Valueva 24 x 48
Autumn Sun by Valueva 30 x 40	Sea Goddess by Valueva 40 x 30	Paradise by Valueva 24 x 48