Gavrilova Mila

BIO

Born in Orel in 1987;

2002-2007 – the Orel Art College;

2013 graduated from the Moscow Surikov State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Easel Painting Studio, Honors Diploma and Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts;

Since 2013 and 2014 I am a member of the Moscow Union of Artists and the Artists Union of Russia;

A participant of over one hundred of Moscow, All-Russia and International exhibitions and art projects, including those in Argentina, Italy, France, Slovakia, and India. The artworks are in private galleries and museum collections (the Vyatka Art Museum named after V.M. and A.M. Vasnetsovs, the Zavolzhsky City Art and Local History Museum) in Russia and abroad.

2023-2024 – training on the course of contemporary art at MMOMA Free Workshops School

Gavrilova Mila

The Artist’s Statement

Recognizing the issues of landfills and environmental pollution, I explore themes of overconsumption and single-use culture in my work. My primary media are canvas, tempera, and oil paint. In my paintings, I depict desolate landscapes and urban scenes with people, capturing moments of urban reality frozen in time. Through vibrant surfaces, decorative elements, and uneven textures, I create a visual noise that conveys the idea of overconsumption.

In addition to painting, I create multilayered objects from used disposable paper cups and paper waste. Torn cups serve as a base, creating uneven surfaces reminiscent of the painted bags in my series «A Plastic Bag over the City», thereby visually connecting painting and sculpture through a shared concept.

The modern city serves as a metaphor for consumer culture, its elements seamlessly integrated into our environment as if they were organic. Emphasizing the theme of overconsumption, I push the elements of urban environment to the point of absurdity. City dwellers are perpetually in motion, experiencing time nonlinearly and often losing touch with the present moment. To enhance this sensation, I fragment the space of my painting into planes, as seen in works like "Mimicry" or the series "Signs Everywhere," "Man and Crowd," and others.

By means of my work, I seek to spark a dialogue about rethinking habits and values, inspiring viewers to make more conscious and sustainable choices. Art becomes not only a reflection of reality but also a catalyst for change, no matter how modest. Through my visual imagery, I hope to provoke thought and discussion about our relationship with the world around us.