The Cooperative Work Process | How to Prepare for a Sitting | What Can Be Done with a Portrait
In My Studio | Gallery | Calendar | About Anton Kumankov | Guestbook

ABOUT THE ARTIST

E-mail: kumankov[at]gol[dot]ru

      nton Yevgenevich Kumankov (born 1958) -- Moscow graphic artist, portraitist, book illustrator. Member of the Artists Union of Russia and the Union of Theatre Artists of Russia.

      fter graduating from Moscows V.I. Surikov School of Art, Anton Kumankov majored in Graphic Arts at the V.I. Surikov Moscow State Institute of Art, where he specialized in Literary Book? Illustration. The budding artist spent much of his time studying easel graphics, particularly portraiture. In 1983 he graduated from the Institute with honors, and his thesis was comprised of illustrations for the novel "Jean-Christof" by R. Rollan, illustrations that were honored with a special commendation by the State Examinations Board. Later, his thesis illustrations were exhibited in the Russian Academy of Art, and in exhibitions in St.Petersburg, Tbilisi and Germany.

     n 1985, as a result of a special competition, Kumankov was accepted to the Graphics Studio of Academician Orest Vereisky within the Russian Academy of Art, where he interned until 1988. Currently, the artist actively works in the area of literary illustration, theatre scene design, and he continues to work on a series of portraits of personalities in the arts world, a series originally begun in the 1970's. A subject of special interest to the artist is children's portraiture.


      t the same time, Anton Kumankov actively collaborates with magazine publishers and editors. His illustrations have graced publications of classic works of Russian Literature (the "Sovremennik" publishing house) and multiple children's books (including those of the "Children's Literature" publishing house, "Malysh", Harper Collins, U.S.A.), among others.

      nton Kumankov's portraits have been exhibited in the Central House of Actors and in the editorial offices of the journal "Smena" ("Variety"), in the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, in the Exhibition Hall of the "Debut" Zvenigorod Historical-Architectural Museum, in the House of Friendship with Peoples of Bordering Countries, in the editorial offices of the journal "Our Heritage", etc.

     rom 1985-1986, the artist twice attained the annual prize presented by the journal "Smena" and the British Prize for the best illustrations in English literature (1997).

     n 1987, by invitation from several American social organizations, Anton Kumankov visited the United States, where he worked on portraits of American children that eventually became a series called "There are no Foreign Children: Portraits of Russian and American Children". This exhibition was presented at Middlebury College in Vermont, in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, at Minneapolis Children's Theatre, as well as in many other educational institutions and cultural centers throughout the United States.


     n August 1988, the American company PepsiCo sponsored a solo exhibition of Kumankov's works that was held at their headquarters in Purchase, New York. Later, this exhibition was brought to the Children's Museum of Washington, D.C., where it was included in the cultural portion of that year's summit between the presidents of the United States and Russia, in the [Congress-Center] "Opryland" in Nashville, Tennessee. And in 1998, the Thomas Jefferson International Cultural Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, presented a wide selection of his portraits on its walls.

     n the course of his many trips to the United States, Kumankov actively pursues his art.

     n 1974, still immersed as a student in the Moscow Middle School of the Arts, Kumankov began a series of portraits of actors of the Maly Theatre, work that continues even today. Little by little, various portraits, created during performances, as well as on company tours throughout the country and in the artist's studio, have been brought together as an independent series, now numbering more than 60 works. This series has been acquired by the Maly Theatre as a permanent exhibit.

     n the last several years, the artist has traveled to Greece, France, Turkey, Germany, Holland and Belgium, all the while pursuing his art. As a result of these trips, he has substantially enlarged his collection of portraits and landscapes.

     n 1995, Kumankov designed the set for a production of Chekhov's "Ivanov" in the Panevezhis Dramatic Theatre in Lithuania and Gorky's "The Lower Depths" in the Cinema Actors' Theatre in Moscow. The show's premiere in Panevezhis was also marked by Kumankov's solo exhibit "Lithuania in My Heart". In 1997, he designed the set for Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General" in the Vspolchesny in Vrotslav, Poland, and in 1998, for Tolstoy's "Resurrection" in the Maly Theatre.


     umankov's work has garnered increasing interest in the press. Several leading newspapers have dedicated lengthy articles to the artist.

     urrently, Anton Kumankov collaborates with a variety of well-known Russian publishing houses, prepares new illustrations, actively works in the area of drawing, graphics and set design (he has designed several productions in Moscow theatres, Panevezhis, Lithuania, and in Vrotslav, Poland. At the same time he continues work on a series of portraits of theatre personalities that he began in the 1970's. A subject of special attraction for the artist -- children's portraits.

     he artist's works may be found in private collections in Russia, the United States, Germany, Greece and France.



Solo Exhibitions

1984 - Architectural-Historical Museum, Zvenigorod.
1985 - Central House of Actors [___], Moscow.
1985 - Editorial offices of the journal "Smena", Moscow.
1985 - Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Moscow.
1987 - House of Friendship with the Peoples of Border Countries, Moscow
1987 - Personal solo exhibitions in the United States (Middlebury College, Vermont; Boston Museum of Fine Arts; Minneapolis Children's Theatre).
1988 - Portrait Gallery of the PepsiCo Corporation in New York.
1990 - Washington's Capital Children's Museum. 1991 Congress Center "Opryland" in Nashville.
1992-98 - Starky Corporation in Minneapolis; Thomas Jefferson Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1994 - Image Gallery, Moscow
1995-2000 - Ongoing exhibition of portrait series "Actors of the Maly Theatre", Maly Theatre, Moscow.
1995 - Jozas Miltinis Theatre, Panevezhis, Lithuania.
1998, 2004 - Editorial offices of the journal "Our Heritage".
1999, 2000 - Union of Theatre Artists of Russia, Moscow.
2001 - "Colorit" Gallery, Moscow.
2002 - Central House of Art Workers, Moscow.
2004 - Exhibit Hall of the Russian political party "Life".
Copyright © 2004 Anton Kumankov