Valery Buyev
Valery Buyev is a professional graphic artist, graduated from the Faculty of Art and Graphic Arts of Kuban State University.
In the late 1970s he came to Moldova. For more than ten years he worked as an art editor in the publishing house “Cartea Moldoveniasca”, illustrated 350 books. After the publishing house was closed, he was left without a job. Slowly he began to master painting.
His first big exhibition took place in 2001 in Holland. Presented realistic landscapes, which, as it turned out, no one wanted. “Realism is considered a page-turner in Western contemporary art,” comments Valery Buyev. – If realist painting is proposed, it should have a history, be dated back to the end of the century before last, at least. What is the point of repeating now what was done a hundred years ago?”
He began to create creative works, the first being figurative compositions. These original ideas attracted foreign galleries, and he began to exhibit regularly in them: he held one or two large solo exhibitions a year, which is an achievement for an artist. This is not counting participation in numerous collective exhibitions.
Valery Buyev shared his experience of working in art residencies in European countries. This is a space where artists, writers, musicians and other creative people live and work in a new, inspiring environment, receiving time, resources, studios and the opportunity to communicate with colleagues, as well as to demonstrate the results of their work. It’s a format that helps artists get away from their routine, develop new projects, get support and make professional connections, and fosters cultural exchange and creative industries. “This is something I couldn’t even dream of!” – says Valery.
“Sometimes I think my paintings are born before me,” the artist shares his thoughts. – They come in whispers – a line that seeks support; a shadow that wants to become light. I only follow them, trying to hear the rhythm with which my inner geometry breathes: broken, stubborn, vulnerable, like a memory of the non-existent. I once wandered among figures and abstractions, but all these paths led to one thing: to the territory where reality gives way to dreaming. There everything is permissible: disproportion, absurdity, the quiet absurdity that lives between thought and silence.
“Buev’s work invites us to reconsider our perception of reality,” analyzes gallery art director Diana Rudenko. – The characters in his works are part of an alternative reality. The artist focuses on what he calls “broken internal geometry,” having only a subjective map where feeling and emotion prevail over rational logic. This map allows him to penetrate worlds beyond reason. This duality – the rigid material world and the ephemerality of dreams – produces a visual narrative of such intensity that awakens many questions concerning the existential world.”
And he was advised to write surrealist works by an American: “If you want to sell, make surreal.” “I tried it, got involved and realized that sur is my thing,” says Valery Buyev.
He also shows himself as a writer; he has published two poetry and two prose collections, which can be purchased at the exhibition.
Iusty Art Gallery has been operating for two years, focusing on interdisciplinary cooperation and promotion of local artists. Occupying a middle ground between the poles of “emerging” and “experienced,” Iusty Art Gallery aims to represent visionary artists with a deep local specificity. The gallery goes beyond a mere exhibition space, expanding its activities through related events: conferences, meetings with artists, and workshops designed to encourage interdisciplinary contributions to the visual arts.
The gallery’s founder, financier Angela Iurcu, admits that she opened the gallery to bring a new wave to Moldovan art life. Besides regular exhibitions, the rooftop hosts jazz concerts, performances, etc. from May to September.
“We have clear accents about the artistic content of the gallery,” explains Angela Iurcu. – We try to work with artists who have an unusual view of the world. From the very beginning, we also do installations, audio and video projections”.
