Slava Fokk was born into a family of artists in 1976 in Krasnodar in the south of Russia. A creative atmosphere has surrounded him since childhood – art workshops, studios and creative summer residencies. In 1997 he completed his training at Krasnodar Art School, also known as the Repin. Declared to be one of the brightest graduates of his class, Mr. Fokk graduated with high honors.

Some years later the reflective Slava decided to move to Moscow. In his words, “I felt that the atmosphere where I was living was pressing on me. At some point everyone needs to leave… to live somewhere else, far away. As a native of Krasnodar, I knew I would have to work to adapt to another city, another culture – and that it would be very useful.” The ancient Greeks said: “Only when you come back and realize that nothing has changed do you realize how much you yourself have changed.” In Moscow, where he became very productive, Slava was exposed to the “old” Russia, a combination of bourgeois and art.

“The greatest challenge an artist faces is to adequately channel his first bursts of creative energy. It is necessary to constantly work at improving one’s skills in order to effectively tackle this challenge.” “I combine practically obsolete concepts with modern decorative themes. In the present body of work, I wanted to create a slightly nostalgic atmosphere.”

His main focus is art of the “northern revival.” He is attracted to the oil paintings of the Netherlands schools. These provide a soft light and shadow with a sometimes internal light that seems to envelop the subjects and figures.