In his paintings, the artist Nikolai Reznichenko explores the essence of happiness in various aspects of life.
His creative quest began in Karelia. This important region in northwestern Russia is famous for its beautiful nature, numerous lakes, and a strong tradition of Christian art: the wooden religious architectural ensemble of Kizhi Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Valaam Monastery. After moving to St. Petersburg, Nikolai soon became part of the cultural capital's art scene and is now considered a representative of the St. Petersburg School of Painting. Nikolai Reznichenko's unusual background and life experiences have contributed to the development of a distinctive and unmistakable style that combines the artist's interest in both traditional Eastern Christian art and Western European art. At the same time, his painting style was strongly influenced by his practice of icon restoration.
The simplicity of the images, the flatness of the forms, and the special depiction of perspective in the artist's compositions demonstrate that Nikolai has his own style, based on the motifs of Orthodox icon painting. He also follows his personal path to discover authenticity and happiness in music, dance, sports, and the simple moments of everyday life—all of which are themes of the artist's paintings. The artist endows his paintings with symbolism. His approach to pictorial simplification allows for the conveyance of profound meanings. The primitive simplicity of the images and the lack of complexity in the visual solutions serve, in this case, to attract the viewer and invite them to enjoy the inner beauty of the images. In his works, Nikolai always brings the idea to the point; his compositions require engagement and communication with the figures.
Today's world seems to be a cold and pragmatic place where it is not easy to find the truth and maintain one's inner freedom. People can become immersed in their hectic lives and lose touch with themselves, which also leads to the loss of happiness. In this sense, the figures in Nikolai Reznichenko's paintings seem to have retained this connection to happiness. Viewers can regain it through admiring the works of art, because phenomenology teaches us that our perception is never neutral or passive. Nikolai Reznichenko's works of art are characterized by the harmony and integrity of their inner content. This is largely determined by the artist's personality, his open-mindedness, and his ability to initiate a creative dialogue and discover new sources of inspiration.
Artist paints his works not with a brush, but with a palette knife—a special tool that visually resembles a small spatula. He masterfully achieves the smoothness of the surface and the precision of the contours, which lends the works a touch of refinement. Nikolai Reznichenko seeks to portray the elusive beauty of the universe, which he finds in architecture, music, theater, dance, sports, and still life. By focusing on romance and beauty—which, in the artist's view, should prevail in this world—he shares with viewers his own way of attracting happiness in life.
