Special
Mihail Chemiakin – Circus Figure, Original Pastel on Paper, Rare Technique
Mihail Chemiakin – Circus Figure, Original Pastel on Paper, Rare Technique
This hauntingly atmospheric pastel painting by Mihail Chemiakin (b. 1943) is an exceptionally rare work from his acclaimed “Circus” series—executed in a highly limited technique, the artist explored only briefly. Rendered in soft, layered strokes of pastel, the figure emerges as if from a dream—ghostlike and theatrical, with hints of vibrant pigment tracing the contours of the face, shoulder, and hands. The composition is ethereal and enigmatic, inviting prolonged contemplation.
Unlike Chemiakin’s more well-known ink and collage works, this piece demonstrates a painterly sensitivity that is both gestural and psychological. It belongs to a very limited group of works included in the double-volume monograph on the artist's Circus series—an exploration of identity, performance, and the mask-like condition of the human figure.
Signed and inscribed along the lower edge, this pastel is among the rarest mediums in Chemiakin’s oeuvre. A true collector’s treasure and a museum-quality example of his exploration of the surreal and spectral through unconventional technique.
Medium: Pastel on paper
Date: Circa 1970s
Signature: Signed and inscribed by the artist, lower left
Series: From the “Circus” series, featured in the major double-volume monograph on Chemiakin
Provenance: From a private collection, originally acquired directly from the artist
