VopreKin – Paintings by Alexandra Cook

About

Alexandra studied geography at the Moscow State University and had been working in planetary science. She always was painting and drawing, inspired by great art she has seen in Russia since childhood, especially paintings by Van Gogh, Nikolai Rerikh and the “Twenty Moscow Avant Garde Artists” group. Her other inspirations come from extensive travel, absorbing folk and period art styles from around the world, music, love of nature and science, deep passion for science fiction and fantasy.

Alexandra’s art education consisted of lessons, workshops and working side by side with brilliant artists from Russia, USA, Britain, Bulgaria, Turkey and South Africa. Her paintings are in private collections in many countries and a museum in Newtown, Powys. She participated in and curated group exhibitions, had solo shows, won a number of awards, did commissions, book covers, posters and illustrations, run a small art gallery, organized a couple of art trips.

Currently Alexandra lives with her husband and two children in Newtown, Powys (Mid Wales), often visiting Moscow region and Valencia. She prefers using acrylics and inks but also works with pastels, oils, photography, digital media and textiles. She loves to experiment. Her work is driven by values of Freedom, Curiosity, Reason, Honesty, Justice and Individuality. Alexandra understands fine art as a conjunction of Meaning, Mastery and Beauty. It is a discipline requiring persistent hard work and the rewards make it worth the effort.

Alexandra is happy to be a member of the Art International Group and participate in numerous exhibitions and plein air trips across Europe.

The project she works on now, “VopreKin” (the name originates from Russian “Вопреки / Vopreki” – Despite), is about imagining a bright future, what it is and what it is not, how to reach it. She studies forward looking, futuristic architecture, design and fashion trying to find a place for meaningful art in technological, healthy, creative and prosperous human world of tomorrow, which she hopes we are heading towards.