Creativity of Larisa Akhmadeeva Automatic translate

The shining of chandeliers and swell of mirrors
Merged into one crystal mirage -
And the wind blows, the ballroom wind blows
The smell of warm fragrant.
(I. Bunin, 1906)

From December 20 to 28, 2018, the exhibition of the St. Petersburg artist Larisa Akhmadeeva will be held at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Brussels.

Christmas in old Europe is a special time, joyful, bright, filled with the expectation of a holiday, cheerful bustle of preparation, chamber solemnity of bright concert and exhibition halls that invariably attract the widest audience, giving each participant their own, special Christmas story.

The exhibition of Larisa Akhmadeeva perfectly matches this mood, because the main place in her work is the preservation of elusive magic. She creates a special world - on her canvases live the beauty and mystery of classical ballet.

The grace of the artists, the splendor of the scenery, the sparkling decoration of the theater with its magnificent ceiling and heavy curtain, the special radiance of elegant chandeliers invariably captivate enthusiastic spectators. How to hold this magic? How to transfer the dance moment to the canvas? How to reproduce the excitement of these unearthly creatures, to convey their graceful plasticity, their incredible transformation when approaching the wings, the stage? Class, rehearsal, grueling runs, endless hone-ups of technique, the birth of an image, short rest, detachment, flight, triumph… How to convey this movement, this rhythm? How to capture and reflect the most subtle connections between the image and the personality of the dancer? The artist shrillly reacts to the nuances. Instantly changing line, composition, palette, technique. Oil and pastel. Canvas, cardboard, paper. What will she choose for a new look? How will her brush respond to complex combinations of choreography and musical accompaniment? Larisa works only from nature. She collaborates a lot with famous ballet companies and theaters in Russia and abroad.

The exhibition in Brussels is a continuation of her successful creative visit to The Hague. Highly appreciating the talent of Larisa Akhmadeeva, the Anna Pavlova Foundation (Netherlands) took the initiative to organize her creative business trip to the Netherlands with a view to maximizing the preparation of future ballet dancers.

Her first exhibition in the Netherlands was organized by the same foundation and was held at the De Muse Theater (Nordvyak) in December 2017. And in March next year, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands invited Larisa again to prepare her personal exhibition in The Hague and hold workshops. Then a whole series of paintings appeared about the beautiful Dutch cities of The Hague, Delft, Lelystad, their famous and beloved by many old streets, town halls, squares, ports. And, of course, about Russian ballet.

The exhibition at the embassy was very warmly received by the public, the interest in the work was so great that already in September these paintings adorned the pavilion of the Russian Federation at the international festival of embassies in The Hague. It is these works that will be presented in Brussels in December. The central place will be given to ballet sketches in all their diversity, and images of The Hague and St. Petersburg will create a unique atmosphere of modernity that preserves traditions. The exhibition will feature about 50 works.

(C) 2018 Nathalie Somova