The Works of a Versatile Artist Vibrate Musically

Mikhail Siimes, who lives and works in Helsinki, is a versatile and experienced artist working in a variety of painting techniques and in stone and metal sculpturing. He was educated at the Industrial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg in the 1980s, and the fact that he is a classically trained artist is clearly visible in works of art that are both well thought out and technically advanced.

Throughout the years, Mikhail Siimes has also stuck to a design language that is fairly uniform and at the same time personal. That he has a solid knowledge of art history and its different styles is also visible in the paintings. The influences of great artists such as Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandisky are clear.

For Siimes, composition and lines are important. The works are harmonious and extremely well thought out. It is easy to rest your eyes on the whole, but you can also, if you want, go a little deeper and focus on the details. Here and there sand has been used in the paint, and lines have been carved into the place instead of being simply painted. The use of texture is not extremely eye-catching, but together with the carefully considered use of color it gives the paintings a nice depth.

Besides the interplay between lines, geometric shapes, and colors, Mikhail Siimes is greatly inspired by people and relationships.

Private exhibitions

2013: Gallery Art Alex, Helsinki
2012: Hermitage, Vyborg, Russia
2012: Vyborg Castle, Vyborg, Russia
2012: Palace of Nations, St. Petersburg, Russia
2012: Hotel Rantapuisto, Helsinki
2010: Art center Artmosfer, Porvoo
2009: Malmitalo Gallery, Helsinki
2009: Culture center Caisan Galleria, Helsinki
2005: Russian Science and Culture Center, Helsinki
1994: City Museum, Varkaus
1993: Kulttuuritalo, Iisalmi
1992: Hotel Punamylly, Haapajärvi
1992: Culture House, Pyhäsalmi

Joint exhibitions

2011: Nordic portrait exhibition, Fredrigsborg, Denmark
2010: Finnish art festival, Maneesi, St. Petersburg, Russia
2008: Exhibition of the Helsinki Artists’ Association, Galleria Rantakasarmi,
Suomenlinna, Helsinki
2006: Masterklass Festival, Ethnographic Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
2003: Masterklass festival, Maneesi, St. Petersburg, Russia
2004: EU-MAN exhibition, Vienna, Austria
2004: Art-Rain exhibition, Sanomatalo, Helsinki
2001: International Dialogit exhibition, Maneesi, St. Petersburg, Russia
2001: EU-MAN exhibition, Villa Paskovka, Krakow, Poland
2000: EU-MAN Gallery, Helsinki
2000: Russian Science and Culture Center, Helsinki
2000: International Dialogues exhibition, Maneesi, St. Petersburg, Russia
2000: Gallery Studio 5, Stockholm, Sweden
1999: Exhibition of the Russian Contemporary Art Foundation, Nuremberg, Germany
1990-92: Russian Foundation for Contemporary Art touring exhibition in Russia,
53 exhibitions in 29 cities
1990: Exhibition’s Gallery, St. Petersburg, USSR
1989: Youth Palace, St. Petersburg, USSR
1989: Russian Contemporary Art Foundation Exhibition, UNESCO, Paris, France
1989: Exhibition of the Russian Contemporary Art Foundation, Frankfurt, Germany
1988: Russian Contemporary Art Foundation exhibition, Munich, Germany