Zufar Bikbov
Landscape artist Zufar Bikbov loves to paint nature because, for him, it is an inexhaustible souce of inspiration. “In nature, I find harmony and beauty, power and lyricism. Often I choose sceneries with signs of human presence: farmlands, roads, boats. I show in my paintings that human is a part of this world,” he says. “My message is that we are responsible for the collaboration with nature, responsible for maintaining harmony in our interaction with it.”
Bikbov’s roots are in Russian art, “where realism and impressionism have twisted together and the best of these two styles were taken into it,” he explains. Along with the beauty of the world in his paintings, Bikbov hopes people see connections to other generations throughout time. His interest in historical buildings and activities of the past and present, such as fishing and farming, also is reflected in his artwork. He adds, “My goal is to create art that makes people enjoy what they see on my canvases, experience emotions, and trigger thoughts and contemplations.”
The artist runs the Russera project, an art gallery and education resource from Russian artists. “Its main idea is to present artworks ranging from plein air studies to masterworks to audiences outside Russia,” says Bikbov. “Video content along with art classes will open up the veil of mystery around the phenomenon of Russian fine art.” His artwork will be shown at the Russera Gallery in Watertown, Connecticut, November 28 through December 30 in the show Land and Sea.
/zufarstudio
@zufar_studio
/zbikbov
The Sunshine State hits its stride as the cooler months set in and the art events kick into high gear. While the 2020 art season will look different, galleries, museums and more have innovated to keep collectors clamoring for art even from the comfort of their homes. Among the art hubs in the state are Miami, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Palm Beach, Naples and Winter Park, to name a few.
One of the prime reasons art lovers flock to Florida each December is Miami Art Week, which is scheduled for November 30 to December 6. This year there will be no live art fairs taking place, but many of the favorites have shifted to virtual events. The mainstay, Art Basel Miami Beach, has announced OVR: Miami Beach, a new iteration of the company’s Online Viewing Rooms that will feature galleries accepted into the 2020 edition of the fair. As part of the event, from December 2 to 6, there will be an online program of talks, gallery walkthroughs and more. Similarly, Art Miami and its sister fairs Aqua Art Miami and CONTEXT have announced the online interactive platform MIAMI ART CITY, which will run December 1 to 6 and will “replicate the art fair experience in a virtual art fair community.” Also going virtual are ART NOW FAIR and SCOPE, both from December 1 to 6.
In St. Augustine, collectors can participate in the monthly
First Friday Art Walk, from 5 to 9 p.m., when approximately 30 galleries stay open for nighttime receptions and events. Participating galleries are located all around the city, including historic downtown, from Aviles to King streets, St. George Street and over the bridge to Anastasia Island and the beach. Included among them is Cutter & Cutter Fine Art, which also has a location in Ponte Verda Beach. The St. Augustine Art Association is also active in the area, typically hosting an annual Festival of Art at Francis Field. This year’s festival was cancelled, but the event usually includes artwork from 130 local and national artists as well as live music, a kids’ area and much more.
The picturesque and diverse beauty of the state also draws artists to the area, with many of them participating in the countless plein air events from around the state. One such event is the eighth annual Plein Air Festival hosted by Tequesta-based Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery & School of Art. From March 14 to 20, 25 artists will exhibit their fresh paintings in the gallery and online. Other festivals of note include Forgotten Coast En Plein Air, which is planned for March 19 to 28, across the Apalachicola area of Florida and the Albin Polsek Museum & Sculpture Garden’s Winter Park Paint Out, which went virtual for 2020.
Landscape artist Chris Kling moved to the state in 2005 and finds inspiration in her surroundings, while painter and sculptor Roni Lynn Doppelt runs Roni Lynn D Gallery in Palm Beach.