Vasily Tikhonovich Romanenkov (Russian: 'Василий Тихонович Романенков; 1953-2013), was a Russian
naïve artist of the
Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
Biography
Vasily Romanenkov was born in the village of
Bogdanovka in
Smolensk Oblast). In 1968 he graduated from 8-years school and moved to “Kosino” State farm near Moscow to live with his mother. There he apprenticed as a carpenter. In 1975–1980 Romanenkov studied at ZNUI (eng. Distance Learning National University of Arts) under N. Pavlov and N. Rotanov. The main feature of his art - a manner to draw with small strokes of different thicknesses, creating a kind of "moire" texture with the help of a pencil. Initially, Romanenkov tried to paint in oils, but on the advice of his teachers at ZNUI he engaged himself with the graphics. His first compositions, which he began to paint from the bottom, were distinguished with randomness of different shapes and patterns. Later, his works became more structured and gained the cyclic format, thus consisting of three or more separate works, each with its internal frame.
His cycles are devoted to Romanenkov's own biography, birth, baptism and death; the fate of the Ancient and Modern Russia.
Vasily Romanenkov is widely known in Russia and abroad. He was awarded the Grand Prix at the International Triennial of Naive Art in
Bratislava (Insita) at 2004 and received an honorable mention of the jury at the same exhibition in 1994 and 1997.[1]
Personal exhibitions
Evidence. Tsaritsyno State Museum, 1998
Naive Art. Vasily Romanenkov. From the collection of Ksenia Bogemskaya, Central House of Artists, Moscow, 2002
Exhibitions
All-Union Exhibition of works of amateur artists, dedicated to the XVII Congress of Trade Unions, Moscow, 1982
Folk traditions, Moscow, 1986-1987
The image and perception, Moscow, 1990
Dream of Gold, Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, 1992
Insita 94, 97, 2000, 2004
Naive Art of Russia, Moscow 1997, 1998
Wisdom is with the naive eyes, The Vasnetsov Brothers Art Museum, 1997
Naive art in the collection of K. Bogemskaya and A. Turchin, "Ark" exhibition hall, Moscow, 1998
Pushkin images, Moscow, 1999
Mastery of time, Gallery of the International University, Moscow, 2000
Galerie Hamer, Amsterdam, 1998
Naive art, 1998
Outsiders, Galerie Hamer, Amsterdam, 1999
Erste Begegnung (Germany), 1999
Russische Naieven vertellen, Museum de Stadshof, Zwolle, the Netherlands, 2000