A Russian Artist in China
A Russian Artist in China
by Bao Han
© Bao Han
Oil on canvas
Bao Han studied at the Ilya Repin State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, St Petersburg. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in St Petersburg, Moscow and Beijing.
The portrait is of Ivan, a Russian artist from St. Petersburg. The two artists studied together in Russia, and were close friends and lovers. However, when Bao Han returned to her native China, the language barrier and cultural differences meant that Ivan could not stay with her and this portrait was painted as a memorial of their time together.