Maxim Piatrul

Maxim Piatrul is a modern Belarusian sculptor, known for his urban and monumental works installed in different cities of China and Belarus, and a participant in many international and national projects, competitions and exhibitions. Works in wood, stone, bronze and other materials.
Антон Ничипорук
Maxim Piatrul is a modern Belarusian sculptor, known for his urban and monumental works installed in different cities of China and Belarus, and a participant in many international and national projects, competitions and exhibitions. Works in wood, stone, bronze and other materials.

1977 Born in Minsk, Belarus

1997 Graduated from the Minsk State Art College named after A. K. Glebov, Belarus (sculpture department)
2015 European Humanities University. Vilnius, Lithuania (Bachelor of Arts)
2004 Member of the Belarusian Union of Designers (Member of the Council group)
2005 Member of the Belarusian Union of Artists (Vice-Head of Sculpture section of the Belarusian Union of Artists, Member of the Council group)

Lives in Minsk.

Awards:

2019 Award of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus "For outstanding creative achievements & significant contribution to the development of art"
2016 Award by Minister of Culture of Republic of Belarus “For personal achievements in arts & development of culture”
2006 Grand premium & Laureate of Special found of President of Republic of Belarus “For significant creative achievements & development of culture”
2005 Premium & Diploma of Special found of President of Republic of Belarus “For significant creative achievements & development of culture”

Prizes:

2019 Golden medal & First degree Diploma of Belarusian Union of Architects. XIX National Architecture contest . Minsk (Belarus)
2016 Art Belarus Honorable Mention. “Salon d`Automne with Belgazprombank”. Minsk (Belarus)
2012 First place (co-author). Republican Contest of Design of Museum of History of Great Patriotic war. Minsk (Belarus)
2011 Excellence Award & Honor Certificate of National Guiding Committee For Public Sculpture, China Association of Mayors. I International Public Sculpture Design Contest. XXIII International Week of Science and Peace. Beijing (China)
2009 Golden medal & First degree Diploma of Belarusian Union of Architects. XIV National Architecture contest . Minsk (Belarus)
2008 Medal & Certificate of Culture department of International Olympic Committee. Beijing (China)
2005 Golden medal & First degree Diploma of Belarusian Union of Architects in the sculpture nomination. Leader of the premium project. International contest of Architecture “Leonardo 2005”. Minsk (Belarus)
2005 Special Prize of Professional jury. International festival of Ice sculpture. Murmansk. (Russia)
2004 Special Prize of Bank international trade & investments & Diploma of Belarusian Union of Artists. National contest of art. Minsk (Belarus)
2002 First prize in the nomination of “sculpture” & First degree Diploma of Belarusian Union of Artists. National contest of art. Minsk (Belarus)

Collections:
State (National) Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, National Centre of Contemporary Arts of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk. Belarus, State (National) Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve Art collection, Polotsk, Belarus, State Literary and Memorial Museum of Yakub Kolas. Minsk, Belarus, National Art Museum of People`s Republic of China – “The Belt and Road” Collection Sculpture Gallery of Qingdao, China, Rainhold Wurth Art Collection – Germany, Olympic Fine Arts Collection – Beijing, China. Museum of sculpture – Hualien. Taiwan…

"Minimalism" series
Sculpture
"Counteranimals" series
"Artopologia" series
"Domestically" series
"Contourless Drawing" series
Graphics from the series of "Contourless Drawing", consisting of two-dimensional objects repeating three-dimensional works. The drawings are made as a result of repeated physical movements of graphite material on the surface of a blank sheet of paper, with the author's hand moving only in a clockwise direction. They emerged post facto in relation to their three-dimensional prototypes and in them it is possible to guess the created author's objects present in the artistic reality and immediate reality...
Solo exhibitions:

2024 “Dialog”. “Mara” Gallery. Nesvizh, Belarus

2023-2024 “4x4”. The Palace of Radziwill - State (National) Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Nesvizh, Belarus

2023 "Parallels". State Literary and Memorial Museum of Yakub Kolas. Minsk, Belarus

2021-2022 “De-Construction”. The Palace of Radziwill - State (National) Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Nesvizh, Belarus

2020-2021 “Maximalism”. National Centre of Contemporary Arts of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

2018 “Maximalism”. Manifest. Gallery “Art-Belarus”. Minsk, Belarus

2018 “25th frame”. Gallery “Art-Belarus”. Minsk, Belarus

2017 “Evolution +”. Museum of Modern Art of Minsk, Belarus

2017 “5=3” (vol.2) Gallery “Artport”. Minsk, Belarus

2016 “5=3” (vol.1) Gallery “Artport”. Minsk, Belarus

2016 “Untitled”. Gallery “Labirint”. National library of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

2015 “Untitled”. Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of Belarus

2014 “Man in city. The history of a history”. State (National) Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Polotsk, Belarus

2007 “60&30 tapestry + sculpture”. State (National) art museum of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

Group exhibitions (selected):

2023 “Art-Minsk”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2022 XIX International Asian Art Biennale. National Gallery of Peoples`Republic of Bangladesh. Dhaka, Bangladesh

2022 "Personal Structures, Reflections", Palazzo Mora, during “the 59-Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art”. Venice, Italy

2022 IX Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art. Tashkent, Uzbekistan

2021 “Art-Minsk”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2020 “Art-Minsk”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2019 “Art-Minsk”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2018 “Human & Nature”. Zhengzhou International Sculpture Exhibition. Zhengzhou, China

2018 “Art-Minsk”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2017 “Today & Tomorrow”. Exhibition of Belarusian Young artists. Arka Gallery. Vilnius, Lithuania

2017 “Returning of the image” to the 130th anniversary of Marc Chagall. Contemporary art exhibition. Cultural centre of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. Moscow, Russia

2017 “Salon d`Automne with Belgazprombank”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2017 VII Beijing International Art Biennale. “The Silk Road and World's Civilizations”. National Art Museum of Peoples`Republic of China. Beijing, China

2017 “The Belt & Road”. Qingdao Invitational Sculpture Exhibition. Sculpture gallery. Qingdao, China

2017 “All Kinds of Surprises – Viewing the Carmen Würth Collection” Museum Würth. Künzelsau, Germany

2017 “Returning of the image” to the 130th anniversary of Marc Chagall. Contemporary art exhibition. The Republican Palace of Art. Minsk, Belarus

2017 “Belart.by”. Cultural centre of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. Moscow, Russia

2016 “Salon d`Automne with Belgazprombank”. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2016 II Minsk International Land-art Festival “Art-Islands”. National Centre of Contemporary Arts. Park of Victory. Minsk, Belarus

2015 XLVIII Art en Capital “Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture à l`eau”. Grand Palais. Paris, France

2015 VI Beijing International Art Biennale. “Memory & Dream”. National Art Museum of Peoples`Republic of China. Beijing, China

2015 “12 Strategies of Belarusian modern art”. National Centre for Contemporary Arst. Minsk, Belarus

2014 XV Changchun (Zhongdong Group) International Sculpture Symposium. Changchun, China

2014 “From the square to the object”. Belarus` avant-garde. Contemporary art exhibition. National exhibition center of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

2012 “Belarusian Abstractionism XX-XXI century”. State (National) Art Museum Of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

2011 I International Public Sculpture Design Contest. XXIII International Week of Science and Peace. Beijing, China

2011 XII Changchun (Hi-Tech Development Zone) International Sculpture Symposium. Changchun, China

2011 Hualien International Stone Sculpture Symposium Competition (semi-final). Hualien, Taiwan

2010 II Belarus Republican Biennale of painting, prints & sculpture. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2010 “Land under white wings”. Republican Exhibition of Modern Fine Arts. State (National) art museum of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus

2009 X Changchun (Shuangyang) International Sculpture Symposium. Changchun, China

2008 Olympic Fine Arts 2008. National Exhibition Centre of Peoples`Republic of China. Beijing, China

2008 IIIBeijing International Art Biennale. “Colors & Olympism”. National Art Museum of Peoples`Republic of China. Beijing, China

2006 City park sculpture plein air. Minsk, Belarus

2006 XXInternational contest of ice sculpture & XI International contest of snow sculpture. The captain of Belarus team. Harbin, China

2006 XV International Festival of Arts "Slavyanski Bazar". Art project “Artifact season”. Art museum. Vitebsk, Belarus

2005 I International contest of young architects “Leonardo 2005”. The winner in the sculpture nomination. Project manager. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2005 XIV International Festival of Arts "Slavyanski Bazar". Art project “Pantheonica”. Art museum. Vitebsk, Belarus

2005 I International Sculpture Festival of China. Kunming, China

2005 "Next Generation of Belarus sculpture". Contemporary art museum. Minsk, Belarus

2005 V International Festival of ice and snow sculptures “Snow Fantasy”. The captain of Minsk team. Special prize of jury. Murmansk, Russia

2004 “Travel” IV National young artists contest exhibition. Special prize in the sculpture nomination. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

2004 “PriorBank” City sculpture contest. The Third place. Minsk, Belarus

2003 China International City Sculpture Exhibition and symposium. Fuzhou, China

2003 Moscow International Art Salon “New Generation”. Artists`Central House. Moscow, Russia

2002 “Time neither stands still, nor waits”. III National young artists contest exhibition. The First place in the sculpture nomination. National Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Minsk, Belarus

Public projects:

2022 Sculpture “Birds” for Pobediteley Avenue. Minsk (Belarus)

2022 Sculpture “Counterbird” for Dzerzhynskogo Avenue. Minsk (Belarus)

2021 Sculpture “Angel” for “Center for Transplantology and Surgery” of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk (Belarus)
2021 Сommemorative sign dedicated to Maria Magdalena Radziwill. Fribourg (Switzerland)

2020 Sculpture “The Sun” for metro station “Yubileynaya Square”. Minsk (Belarus)

2020 Sculpture “The Book is Belarusian” for metro station “Fr. Bogushevich Square”. Minsk (Belarus)
2018 Co-author of memorial complex “Trostenets” Minsk (Belarus)

2018 Sculpture “Counteranimal” Zhengzhou Sculpture park. Zhengzhou (China)

2014 Sculpture “Creation” Zhougdong Group Area. Changchun (China)

2014 Art-sculptural project for metro station “Malinovka”. Minsk (Belarus)

2012 Sculpture project for metro station “Grushevka”. Minsk (Belarus)

2011 Sculpture “Counterbalance” Hi-Tech Development Zone. Changchun (China)

2010 Sculpture project “Fountain of Victory” in Victory Park. Minsk (Belarus)

2010 Co-author of memorial objects of The Holocaust victims in Glusk, Mogilev region (Belarus)

2009 Sculpture “Birds” in “Shixihe” Ecological Landscape Sculpture Park. Shuangyang, Changchun (China)

2008 Co-author of memorial objects of The Holocaust victims in Minsk (Belarus)

2008 Memorial object of The Holocaust victims in Bobruisk, Mogilev region (Belarus)

2007 Co-author of memorial complex “Krasny Bereg” (State Prize of the Republic of Belarus) in town Krasny Bereg, Gomel region (Belarus)

2006 Sculpture “Paparatz-Kvetka” in Minsk sculpture park (Belarus)

2005 Sculpture “Taiji” in Kunming Daguan park (China)

2003 Sculpture “Elephantus” in Fuzhou city sculpture park (China)
Maxim Piatrul thinks in monumental extensional forms. This feature of his creative vision is embodied not only in his sculptural works designed for big urban spaces or natural landscapes, but also in his indoor sculptures. The artist’s language is laconic.Plastic forms are withdrawn into themselves. Their apparent simplicity is deceptive; it hides multilayered meanings and signs, "traces" of the author’s long reflections and meditative plunges intothe space of the world. Piatrul’s works have difficult semantic structures; they are concentrated formulas of a hard work of his feelings and mental powers on the way to the understanding of the essence and logic of the never-waning circulation of time and space, to the understandingof himself and his mission in this circulation.

«To live a life, leaving no trace» is the artist’s behavioral concept. The scurry and the scramble of everyday life, in which a person is included a priori, are overcome in the course of creativity. The happiness of creativelybreaking through intoanother reality and connecting to its energy is fickle and elusive. However, it eclipses everyday pleasures. In his sculptures,Piatrul tries to impress codes of the Universe, which meaning comes and goes if you have not managed to identify them on time. These are the only "traces", in his opinion, that an artist should leave.

Piatrul’s sculptural compositions live especially naturally and harmoniously in the environment. Their stay in the serenely quiet space of the Sky and the Earth givesspectators a chance to approach their inner contemplation through the contemplation of the subject form in order to try to find the Truth by getting rid of everything that is false in themselves.

As a matter of fact, the inner contemplation principle is taken by the artist as a foundation of his creative method. His inner work on each sculpture takes a long time; the plastic form ripens graduallyand finds itself in the material. It is obvious that the sculptor attaches huge importance to it. Granite or marble, wood, bronze, silumin, copper, steel –the choice of thematerial is dictated by a plastic idea, in which there is a particle of the world, in which its certain law is openedand demonstrated by the artist’s creative will. The feeling of the material, its facture and expressive possibilities allowsPiatrul to reach the harmony and completeness of form;itstrengthensthe figurative and philosophical contentsof his oeuvres.

«Being made in the context of the author’s own time, a sculpture has to guess the future or to recall the past. For someone, my past will probably become the future and it is at this very moment when we shall meet...»

Olga Kovalenko, PhD
Member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA/IAAC)
Member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM)