The exhibition features portraits by Anatoly Movlyan, which were created between 2015 and 2025. The artist's pieces demonstrate a blend of traditional technique and a contemporary approach to presenting the sitters. The exhibition includes portraits, which reflect the artist's mastery of conveying the depth of human character through detail, colour, and, at times, unconventional compositional approach. Among the key artworks are the two self-portraits, both of which feature genre motifs. In the painting "Shaving," which has received international awards and prizes, an everyday ritual offers a new insight into the artist's personality and character, while the elements of self-irony, combined with dynamic composition evoke associations with self-portraits of Renaissance artists.
Even such a non-narrative genre as portraiture forms a unified narrative in the exhibition. Anatoly Movlyan's self-portraits are complemented by the portrait images of his family, including the artist's wife and two sons, as well as his friends and students from the School of Portrait founded by the artist. Each subject is linked to a story, which reveals the sitter's inner world. The artist skillfully combines realism with emotional depth, sometimes adding ironic touches to the images of portrayed persons. For example, in "Ode to a Lonely Man," everyday elements — an old stool and laundry soap — become symbols of humble openness and simplicity. The artist conveys portrait likeness not only through naturalism but also through the painting's colour scheme and palette, and sometimes through bright, vibrant accents — as in the portraits of Mikhail Maltsev and The Young Man with Coffee. Some artworks are presented to the public for the first time, making the exhibition a perfect opportunity to see the pieces from private collections. Anatoly Movlyan's approach to portraiture is a dialogue with the sitter and the life itself.
