Solo Exhibition | Installations
14.04.2016 – 14.05.2016
Emerging artist, Ruslan Mazlo, hails from the North Caucasus mountainous region of Russia where he lives and works. Mazlo studied art in university, gaining a strong foundation in classical and abstract expressionism where he was able to create his own signature style by fusing Circassian or Adyghian heritage weaving with abstract and symbolism. His material of choice is bulrush, a tall grass which he extracts from the Terek riverside famed by Lermentov's poem 'Terek' and Pushkin's 'Kavkaz'. The bulrush he dries and weaves into different abstract forms composing what they call in his culture an 'arzhin'.
Arzhin is synonymous with the circle of life - it is an ethnic art composition which is still used today to lay the newly born on it when coming to life, It is also the material used to carry the deceased with to his burial back to mother earth.
Ruslan's technique dates back to the ancient Adyghians, the process is that of a long one which starts by gathering the bulrush then stripping, drying, treating and the weaving it into ropes. Mazlo then forms it into his desired shapes, some flat like a rough canvas and others embossed with a three dimensional volume relief. By adding natural earth dyes which he also extracts from different herbs and minerals Ruslan begins painting symbols and signs creating a dialogue with the russian suprematism and constructivist artists like Malevich and Tatlin, and other abstract expressionists such asKandinsky. His technique is ancient but his results yield an amazing mix of past and the present.
Ruslan Mazlo a young member of the Russian Union of Artists has already had solo exhibitions since 2006 at the museum level in cities such as Rostov, Krasnodar, Nalchik, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, Maikop and Sochi.
MSK Eastside Gallery / Center is pleased to represent and host Mazlo's debut exhibition in Moscow from April 14th till May 15th.