YURI KUPER IS THAT RARE BREED OF ARTIST WHO NEVER SETTLES INTO A PATTERN.

He continuously explores, often leaving behind the type of art he has been lauded for, to embark into unknown artistic territories. And in this manner, he has completed a variety of new and exciting projects since our last exhibition.

During an interview conducted in 2003, he told our Gallery Director, Phebe Carter, how he would like his career to be remembered: "I would be privileged in the history of art to be appreciated not as part of a movement or a group, but as a painter of solitary strength, and a loner. I like to think that I am this kind of artist."
"I would be privileged in the history of art to be appreciated not as part of a movement or a group, but as a painter of solitary strength"
-- Kuper
Certainly, Kuper is pursuing this path. Not only does he manage to resist falling into a specific formulation or school of art, he is expanding the definition of painting itself. He told us, "Painting is not just oil and acrylic on canvas." In a sense, the definition of painting is that it provokes the observer to meditate and to contemplate. Perhaps with this definition in mind, Kuper has briefly put down his brush to explore how to “paint” in sculpture, in writing, and in design. In these various media, his ideas of art take new forms and reach new heights.

While Kuper's interest in theatre isn't new, he has done outstanding set designs over the years, his recent foray into dramatic writing is a first for the accomplished artist. His play, Twelve Paintings in the Life of an Artist for which he also designed the costumes and sets, opened in Moscow in January of 2007. If there was ever a reason to travel to Moscow in January and brave the Russian winter, surely this was one. There is a rich tradition of artists whose artistic appetite drew them to the stage. In the 20th century, the Bauhaus school ventured into theatrical design. Even Pablo Picasso invested his talents in theatre set and costume design. Kuper's interest in the operatic form expanded in April when his stage design for The Boris Godunov Opera opened at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre.

In May, Kuper's sculptural work is being featured as part of the International Moscow Art Fair. He completed this new series of beautiful sculptures for Galerie Vallois of Paris. We are proud to offer six of these works to our collectors in this exhibition, and to be part of the international events involving this exceptionally versatile and creative artist.

As appreciation for Kuper's diverse talents has increased over the last several years, so has demand. Therefore, I am immensely proud to present this exhibition and bring key works by this exceptional artist to the attention of collectors around the world.

--Franklin Bowles