Alexey Shlyk - The Appleseed Necklac
Alexey Shlyk
The Appleseed Necklace
Every time I think of my country (Belarus), I am reminded of how wonderfully resourceful and creative the people are. Probably those qualities were inherited - together with tolerance - from the Soviet period. As I was born in 1986, I was a citizen of the Soviet Union for part of my early childhood and I still remember my passport with the hammer and sickle on it and the empty racks in the stores. This series is based on once predominant DIY culture in the country of my origin that developed in the time of my childhood. As I stage my photographs today, I refer to my memories and nostalgic feelings for the things that I have seen and heard in the past, events that I have participated in. In the Appleseed Necklace I am talking about creativity, craftsmanship, diligence and typical recycling that were natural to the people living in conditions of constant shortages. It was a time when one had either to find a way to “snatch” what was needed or to make it out of the accessible materials. Although today this lifestyle is more often seen in domestic decorations, I am trying to revive in my photographs what once was a vital necessity.
biographie
Né en 1986 à Minsk, Bélarus.
En 2008, il obtient son diplôme de mathématiques de l'Université d'État du Bélarus, avec les félicitations du jury.
Depuis qu'il s'est lancé dans la photographie artistique, en 2009, Shlyk a fait l'objet d'expositions solo au Bélarus (Musée d'art moderne de Minsk), en Russie (Musée russe des arts décoratifs et appliqués de Moscou et Musée Erarta d'art contemporain de Saint-Pétersbourg), en Chine (Musée Duloun d'art moderne, Shanghai), et a participé à plusieurs festivals internationaux de photographie (Breda Photo, FORMAT17, FestFoto Brazil, le Mois de la photo de Riga, Belfast Photo Festival).
Il suit actuellement un Master à l'Académie royale des Beaux-Arts d'Anvers avec Geert Goiris et Bert Danckaert.
Il vit et travaille désormais à Anvers, en Belgique.
www.alexeyshlyk.com