Yuri Shwedoff was born in 1991 and lived in Kyrgyzstan until the age of 9, when his family decided it was time to move to Russia in order for Yuri to receive a good art education. In 2008 Yuri graduated from the painting department of the Moscow Academic Art Lyceum of the Russian Academy of Arts. At this time, he was also nominated for the Medal of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts for a series of works entitled, ‘Suzdal’. Recently Shwedoff graduated from the Moscow State Academic Art University in Surikov and is currently a member of Moscow Union of Artists.
“Often with my artist friends, we discuss our roles in the world and the role of art in the global system of values. Now everything is changing very rapidly and important things lose their importance. Maybe, soon, we will have to survive and hunt like many thousand years ago. We need artists in such a world, or all of us will need to pick up the spears and go for a battle for the last cheeseburger. I believe that art helps people to experience the feelings that they have deep inside. Understanding these feelings and at the same time understand ourselves. Learning to enjoy the beauty of the world. Art helps us to be the ones who we should be – not only builders, but also the audience. Art reminds us that the whole world was created for us to appreciate its beauty. So it’s cool to create and enjoy the creations. It will be important even when we go back to the cave and will draw on walls. And it is a nice job to sit, to draw and to watch cartoons. What more could you ask for?” – Yuri Shwedoff (Hype and Hyper)
