Special
Mihail Chemiakin – Two-Piece Original Collage: Ink and Mixed Media Works, 1970s
Mihail Chemiakin – Two-Piece Original Collage: Ink and Mixed Media Works, 1970s
This unique pairing of original works by Mihail Chemiakin (b. 1943) offers a rare glimpse into the artist’s dual modes of expression during his Paris period in the 1970s. The left-hand piece is a fine line ink drawing accented with precise red embellishments—classic of Chemiakin’s surrealist vocabulary where hybrid forms and biomorphic figures merge in a psychological tableau. Signed and dated 1975, it reflects his metaphysical explorations through minimal gesture and symbolic abstraction.
On the right, a vividly hued watercolor and ink composition on graph paper introduces a different dimension—gesture meets emotion in an almost theatrical pose. The figure, loosely defined yet unmistakably alive, wears a splash of saturated color that invokes both costume and transformation, reinforcing Chemiakin’s fascination with character, identity, and metamorphosis.
Presented as a thoughtful collage, the contrast between the two works underscores Chemiakin’s versatility and rich symbolic language. Together, they form a compelling visual dialogue between control and spontaneity, structure and spectacle.
Medium: Ink on paper (left); Watercolor and ink on graph paper (right)
Date: Circa 1975
Signature: Both works signed by the artist
Provenance: From a private collection, originally acquired in Paris in the 1970s
Presentation: Professionally mounted side by side on a single mat board
