| Nikolay Samoukov Fine Art (Biography) |
Nikolay Samoukov was born on December 10, 1957 in Manturovo, a town in the Kostroma region of Russia.
He began to draw and paint early in his childhood.
In 1971 Nikolay entered Manturovo Art School to study under the guidance of
Tatiana Alekseyevna Milizina and Leonid Ivanovich Chesnokov.
At the age of 15, in 1973, he left his father’s home to continue his art education in Ivanovo city at Art College. In 1977 Nikolay graduated from the Art College with honors. His gradutaing project, consisting of a new design for a children's playground, was approved with plans to be constructed permanently. Unfortunately, these plans were interrupted due to his conscription in the Soviet Army from 1977 to 1979.
After being released from the army in 1979, he decided to move to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) to further pursue an art education. Due to conditions in the former Soviet Union at the time, Nikolay had to work as a street cleaner for many years in order to achieve this goal. Nikolay got married in 1982 and in March 1983 his daughter Nelly was born.
In addition to the birth of his daughter, 1983 was the same happy year that Nikolay matriculated at the Mukhina Institute of High Art and realized his goal of becoming a full time student. In 1988 he graduated with honors as his final project, “Science” (a 216 sq. m small module mosaic), was to be permanently installed in Dnepropetrovsk (Russia).
Unfortunately, this installation was disrupted. A long term conflict (1986-1988) with Soviet authorities over constitutional human rights forced Nikolay and his family to leave the country. After finding refuge in Italy for 6 months, Nikolay created a large number of watercolors, most of which have been sold.
In the end of 1989, having been granted a visa, Nikolay and his family immigrated to the United States. Arriving first in Salt Lake City, they soon moved to Provo, UT.
During the next few years, Nikolay traveled extensively across the United States and Europe.
In 1993, Nikolay settled in Seattle with his family. Since 2001, Nikolay Samoukov has lived in Lynnwood, a northern suburb of Seattle in the large studio-house.
He devotes his time to painting and teaching his numerous students.
Currently, Nikolay Samoukov is the director of Ben's Classic Art Studio and web administrator of www.Aartschool.com. Having been born and educated in Russia, he misses his mother-land very much. Almost every year, he returns to Russia to visit his friends, relatives, and his beloved city of St. Petersburg and native city of Manturovo.
EDUCATION
1983-1988 Mukhina Institute of High Art and Industry, Leningrad, Russia. Artist-muralist. MFA
1979-1983 Studio of the artist Vasily Suvorov, Leningrad, Russia.
1973-1977 Ivanovo Art College, Ivanovo, Russia. Artist-designer. BA
1971-1973 Art School, Manturovo, Russia.
EXHIBITIONS
2004-2006 “Mountain Trail Gallery“, Park City, UT; Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT.
1998-2004 “Zantman Art Gallery“, Carmel, CA; Springville Museum of Art, Springville,
UT.
1998 “Ber’ozkina Art Gallery“, Kirkland, WA; “Zantman Art Gallery“, Palm Desert, CA.
1997-1998 “Simic New Renaissance Art Gallery“, Carmel, CA.
1996-1997 “Zantman Art Gallery“, Palm Desert, CA; “Tivoly Gallery“, Salt Lake City, UT.
1993-1996 "Michael Pierce Gallery", Seattle, WA ; "Hermitage", Seattle, WA; "Moss Bay Gallery", Kirkland, WA.
1993 Montesilvano (Italy)
1989-1993 "Tivoly Gallery", "Finch Lane Gallery", Salt Lake City, UT; "Fine Arts Gallery", Palm Desert, CA; Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT; "Saguaro Art Gallery",
Park City, UT
1989 Pescara (Italy).
1979-1989 Leningrad, (Russia).
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