Starting April 5, Michael Murphy Gallery will exhibit a beautiful collection of impressionistic works by international artist Elena Bond. The show will open with a public reception featuring the artist, on Friday, April 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery and will be on display until an indeterminate date.
Who is Elena Bond?
Born in Samara, Russia to a long line of artists, Elena Bond began drawing at an early age, using everything from pencils to her mother’s make-up. She attended her first art school at age 11.
Bond’s great-grandfather and grandfather also artists, and her mother was a classical pianist. Because her father was a military doctor, the family moved frequently, and Bond also lived in Kazakhstan, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Latvia, Litva, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Germany.
In her painting, Bond has learned and experimented with many styles and techniques, from simple still life and portraits to difficult, philosophical, multi-figured art. Whatever she paints, her main goals are to be honest and to love what she creates.
“Elena Bond has updated the Impressionist movement to our present time; bringing the Impressionists’ spirit into the Twenty First Century in a grand way – with a major force of impact,” says Pierre Henri Matisses, grandson of artist Henri Matisse. “In fact, I see Elena as one of the key artists in modern impressionism pushing the boundaries of the movement in a way that hasn’t been done previously. She uses her impeccable taste in a very subtle and sophisticated way creating intense harmonies in her paintings as she keeps the contrast between color and value dynamically balanced.”
At 15, Bond attended the State College of Art in Uzbekistan, then studied at the Academy of Art, where she earned a master’s degree in Fine Art. She showed in numerous international, state and city exhibitions and became a member of the Artists’ Union of Uzbekistan. Bond also worked in theaters, creating set designs for the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Returning to Uzbekistan, she continued her work in the State Museum of Art as a restorer, teaching at the local university, and taking part in exhibitions.
With the dismantling of the Soviet Union life changed. The divisive issues of nationality and religion resulted in the loss of wealth and stability for so many Soviet citizens. 1n 1999, Bond’s family won a Green Card Lottery and immediately moved to the United States. Here she was able to resume her artistic career.
Works by Elena Bond can be viewed Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Michael Murphy Gallery.
