Romantic
Vineyard, large unique oil on canvas.
(Sorry, sold for $6,500 framed.)
Oleg Zhivetin
was born March 18, 1964 in
Uzbekistan. He started school at six
years of age; at age nine, he entered an art
studio program for children where he soon began
working with watercolors and creating
landscapes. As a teen he applied to the
Moscow Academy of Fine Arts and began studying
with a professional artist to prepare for the
rigorous competition for admission.
Lovers with Flowers,
embellished giclee, 40 x 32", $1,200 unframed 
During this preparation, he
spent a significant amount of time with his
grandparents, who were warm and creative
people. Oleg watched as they crafted down
comforters with intricately quilted
patterns. Many of these designs
incorporated linear images of flowers with
petals—symbols of simplicity, purity, and beauty
seen in much of Oleg’s later work.
Oleg gained admission to the
Academy of Fine Arts when he was 15. There
he spent each day painting, drawing, and
studying traditional academic subjects.
After three years, Oleg applied for admission to
the Surikov Art Institute, the Soviet Union’s
most prestigious art school. When his
initial application was declined, he returned to
Uzbekistan for a year and earned his degree in
art education. He then reapplied to the
Surikov and was accepted — a great honor and an
indication of his high level of talent and
technical ability.
At the Surikov, Oleg studied
under such highly respected Soviet artists as
Yuri Karilov, Director of the Tretyakov
Museum. He concentrated on producing his
best work and completing his degree in a Master
of Fine Arts.
Serenade, Serigraph on canvas, 36 x 48",
$1,250 unframed
With graduation nearing,
financial survival as an artist concerned Oleg
more and more. He hired a neighbor to sell
his paintings on the street, and as the months
went by his work began to sell. One day,
the neighbor asked him, “Would you like to go to
America?” He gave Oleg a matchbook with a
phone number left by a man looking for talented
artists to sponsor. Oleg called.
Tender
Heart, Original serigraph, 36 x 36", Sorry
sold for $900 unframed
The sponsor provided Oleg with a
three-month visa to work in the U.S. He arrived
in California and eventually found his way to
Laguna Beach where he made a quick assessment of
the type of art selling in local
galleries. He completed several still-life
paintings and took them to a Russian art dealer
who instantly recognized the quality of his
work. The response to Oleg’s art was
immediate and he was able to take the first
steps to financial and artistic independence.
The
Gift,
Embellished
giclee, 22 x 26", $550 unframed
Russian icon painting is a basic
and profound point-of-reference in Oleg’s
work. The viewer will find religious
imagery—golden halos, Madonnas, angels, and
saints. Other typical icons include
hearts, musical instruments, books, celestial
beings, and flowers—symbols of beauty, delicacy,
and spiritual development.
One of the most beautiful
aspects of Oleg’s painting is his skillful
rendering of faces, hands, and feet. His
characters often communicate through the use of
hand gestures rather than eye contact.
Gestures are imbued with subtle meaning; a deep
sense of shared experience is created through
this control of body language.
Three
Graces, Embellished giclee on paper, 44 x
23", $900 unframed
His combination of geometric
shapes and abstract patterns — often applied
onto canvas in gold foil or gold leaf — is truly
masterful. His characters’ faces evolve
from flat, mask-like images to fully realized
visages exuding intelligence and emotion.
Their facial contours are delicately and softly
molded.
To stand before an Oleg
masterpiece is an experience you will not soon
forget; to own one is a source of pride and
privilege. Saper Galleries is proud
to represent Oleg to collectors worldwide.
