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Oleg Trofimov was born in 1962 in Russia, the first member of his family to pursue a career in art. He began painting as a small child and his unique talents were quickly recognized. In kindergarten, instead of drawing flowers and houses for an art assignment, Trofimov drew a U.S. plane bombing in Vietnam. The drawing was entered in a children’s competition and received a special prize—the first of many recognitions his work has received.
During the 1990’s, Oleg’s work was purchased by most of the major Russian banks and high-ranking government officials for their private collections—including Presidents Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Medvedev, Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. Many stars of the Russian entertainment industry—including actors, producers and singers—are among collectors of his work. Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of the current Prime Minister, is the owner of two prestigious art galleries in Moscow and Bruges and has purchased 16 of Trofimov’s paintings.
His style has been described as “Russian realism,” a combination of traditional realism and impressionism. The Russian artists who exerted the greatest influence on his work include masters like Korovin, Turjanskiy, Korjev, Stojarov, and Ukin. The Western artists he considers most influential to his work—his “real teachers”—were van Gogh and Monet. “The style and manner of my work helps me understand the relationships between colors without the viewer being distracted by detail,” says Trofimov. “This helps create a true impression of the subject I am creating.”
His choice of subject matter is important to Trofimov. “I don’t think there are many people who aren’t touched by the ocean, by the romance of traveling, and capturing beautiful moments in life. I’m no exception. This is why on many of my canvases you will see ships, sails, foreign lands, and cozy corners of the world I have visited and loved.”
Oleg Trofimov has participated in more than 20 Russian and foreign exhibitions. His artworks are included in private collections in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, and the U.S. He is also represented in many Russian corporate collections, as well as the Naples Museum of Fine Art in Naples, Florida and the Dallas Arts and Crafts Museum in Dallas, Texas. It is believed the world famous Tretyakov Art Gallery & Museum in Moscow is currently in negotiation to buy Trofimov’s work.
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