ILYA VOLYKHINE
Ilya Volykhine, a citizen of New Zealand and Australia, resides in Devonport, Auckland. As a critically acclaimed New Zealand figurative artist, his work has achieved notable recognition. Finalist selections include the 2023 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award, 2021, 2018, 2017, and 2016 Walker & Hall Art Awards (winning in 2016), and the 2016 Adam Portraiture Award.
Internationally, Volykhine's accolades include the Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Blake Prize for Religious Art, the Jacaranda Drawing Prize in Australia, and a prominent feature in the Benneton family's Imago Mundi New Zealand Kiwi Consciousness Collection in Italy.
Born in the USSR, Volykhine has resided in various countries with his family. His exhibitions and residencies span the globe, from New York to Estonia. Since settling in New Zealand in 2009, he has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the country. His artwork is widely represented in private, public, and corporate collections worldwide.
Volykhine's paintings are known for their darkly comic and often poetic nature. The characters depicted navigate the anxieties and joys of life, while the narratives unfold playfully and chaotically. Guided by an intuitive process, Volykhine allows the story to emerge as he paints, using expressive brushwork to create a space for his characters to flourish and explore uncharted territories.
