Known as the impressionist painter of contemporary times, or the rainbow painter, Leonid Afremov is very famous especially to those who frequent social media, where his works are very popular. A true international icon, a modern impressionist, Afremov has been able to turn his passion into a job, making the most of the internet as a sales and promotion channel for his works and his talent.
His pictorial identity as an Impressionist is easily recognizable in his works - the broad and decisive brush stroke, the landscape subjects and citizens in the open air, the bright, lively and strongly communicative colors, expressed however with a more daring and stylish expressive charge, closer to contemporary sensibility. In him, that Monet-like impressionist realism so dear to lovers of this movement seems to blend with the evocative aura of Marc Chagall.
In these early years of his training Leonid Afremov had the opportunity to get to know the works of several international painters such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalì, Marc Chagall and Modigliani, who in one way or another greatly influenced his early works and his artistic approach typically associated with the artistic movement of Impressionism.
Leonid Afremov uses the impressionist technique of plein air, replacing the brush with spatulas and knives to shape the oil colors.
The main subjects of the painter Afremov are evening landscapes framed by street lamps, deserted or rain-soaked streets, couples of men under umbrellas or passers-by on the street, the leaves of trees and natural expanses. The colors are bright and vivid, the predominant ones are red, yellow, blue and green. All the landscapes are purely realistic and alive.
Its colors, quick brush strokes, revolutionary themes, have transmitted and still transmit beauty, joy of living, momentum and enthusiasm. The Musée d'Orsay, in Paris, temple of Impressionism, welcomes millions and millions of visitors every year, and there are many people who put it before the Louvre.
Why we love Leonid Afremov
Leonid Afremov, Russian-Israeli, was a modern impressionist artist. Made with oil paints and palette knife, his works are full of color and movement. They have a unique beauty that makes his works exemplary for the home - one of the main reasons why his art is perfect as wall murals.
In this article, you will learn more about Leonid's journey. From his early days in Belarus with his supportive parents to his decision to move to the United States. Afremov's path to becoming an artist was not easy, but today he is considered one of the most talented impressionist artists.
The Beginnings and Education of Leonid Afremov
Leonid Afremov was an internationally recognized modern impressionist artist who created paintings with a palette knife and oil paints. Born in Belarus in 1955, Leonid discovered his passion for art at an early age. His Jewish parents, Bella Afremova and Arkadiy Afremov, noticed his talent and encouraged him to develop his skills. He attended as many art classes as possible in school and took private lessons with local artists.
After graduating from high school, Leonid attended the Vitebsk Educational Institute where he studied Art and Graphics. Here he was exposed to the works of Marc Chagall, Picasso, Dali, Modigliani and 19th century French Impressionism. All of which are reflected in Leonid's vivid artwork today.
Family life and early career
After university, Leonid Afremov settled down with his wife Inessa Afremova and started a family. Meanwhile, his career began as a label designer for a local beer and liquor factory, before becoming a set designer for a local theater. In the early 1980s, Leonid began working freelance during the spring and summer for farms and schools.
He designed and produced various propaganda posters and created themed rooms and walls for their events. In the winter, he created paintings at home that could not be shown at government exhibitions because of his Jewish origin. Instead, they were sold privately or given away.
After being affected by the Chernobyl disaster in the mid-1980s, the Afremov family took the opportunity to move to Israel in 1990. However, as a recent Russian immigrant, Leonid still struggled to sell his art. He was unable to experiment during this time and only produced works in acrylics and watercolors, because that was what people wanted.
His son, Dmitry, helped him sell his father's works through door-to-door sales and soon they created enough funds to open a gallery and frame shop in Ashdod. Soon after, Afremov managed to establish his own identity and began experimenting with the palette knife.
In 2001, Afremov's gallery was completely vandalized. This prompted him to start a new life in the United States the following year. Despite some gallery sales, Leonid Afremov was still unable to produce what he loved.
Success at last
It wasn't until 2004, when his youngest son Boris graduated from high school, that he was introduced to eBay. People loved Afremov's paintings, and he immediately found a positive response. He began earning hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars! After a difficult start to his career, Afremov was finally seeing results.
There is no doubt that Afremov could have given up his passion on many occasions. Eventually he began to create art that he loved and that people also liked. In a statement about Leonid Afremov's biography, his paintings generally reflect some personal memories and emotions. He traveled a lot and captured moments with photographs that he then translated into paintings.
The Last Life of Leonid Afremov
In the last 15 years before his passing, Afremov trained a group of professional artists from his studio to teach them his style of painting. At first he taught them to paint backgrounds and make pencil drawings, then Leonid would finish all the detailed work. Later, he began training his students to complete reconstructions for practice.
On August 19, 2019, Leonid Afremov passed away and is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren. His family is proud of Afremov, who was a great man and a true inspiration. They plan to continue sharing his art with the world and to do so for as long as possible.
Some of our favorites
Enjoy romantic scenes of couples strolling through autumn trees after the rains and eccentric Cuban musicians, through to majestic tigers and beautiful Mediterranean streets. All our murals are made to measure to fit your wall and can be printed on a range of high quality wallpaper materials. Our beautiful metal prints are currently only available in the UK and can be enjoyed indoors or out under a canopy.
