Background
Arlen Kashkurevich was born on the 15th of September 1929 in Minsk City, Belarus.
Arlen Kashkurevich was born on the 15th of September 1929 in Minsk City, Belarus.
After graduation from a seven-year school Kashkurevich entered Minsk Civil Engineering College. In 1953, he graduated from Minsk Art College. The same year Kashkurevich decided to continue his education at the Graphics Department of the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute (nowadays Belarusian State Academy of Arts). His thesis work was a series of illustrations to the novel "Atom Station", 1959 by the Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness.
Kashkurevich worked in the studio of visual arts at Minsk House of Folk Art in 1950s. From 1958 to 1968 he held a post of lecturer in the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. From 1960, A. Kashkurevich became a constant participant of the republican and all-union exhibitions. Many years he dedicated to book decoration and fruitfully worked at the field of bookplate making. Design of the book "Three poems", 1962 by Yanka Kupala became one of the first prominent works at the master`s early period.
A special place in the context of European literary classics figurative interpretation belongs to a large series of "Variations on a theme of "Faust" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe", 1975. Pain, grief and protest are dominant emotional accents of illustrations to the book "Chasteners", 1981-1982 by Ales Adamovich. Easel painting principal is evident in series of illustrations to the novel "Blizzard Stop", 1986 by Chingiz Atimanov.
Arlen was a wide range artist who had hold on pathos and exceptional dramatic nature of heroic events:"Partisans", 1969-1970; "Blockade", 1978; heartfelt lyrism of tenderly outlined female images: "She and I", 1970; depiction of the beauty of creative work:"Masters", 1966-1967; the problem of correlation between good and evil: "Faust", 1975; terrifying grotesque "Napalm",1985 and high poetry of Icelandic epos: "Edda", 1993.
The artist paid much attention to the creation of large cycles of easel graphics works. The etching series "Masters", dedicated to workers of Belarusian Glassworks Neman, is a true hymn to the inspired creative work. In a large cycle of drawings "Concerto Grosso" (Big Concert) created between 2003-2006 A. Kashkurevich embodied metaphorically a tragic collision between the musian and his instrument, a creator and his art, brave confrontation of an artist to the impossibility of reaching ideal.
Common emotional atmosphere unites works of the series "This Sweet City Life",1987-2004, which is full of thoughts about the millennium problem: the problem of individuality in the society, human existence in a complicated modern world. The main theme of the cycle is an image of a person who is lost in metropolis, the one who is alienated from the city, society and himself. Existential accents are clearly seen in a dramatic contrast of etchings: "Person in an Elevator", 1988; "Crossroads", 1993; and in strict calm of the lines of pen drawings: "Leaf Fall", 1994; "Person in the Rain", 2004; "Old Musician and His Dog", 2001; "Expectation", 2002.
Recreation of scenes and images from Gospel and the Old Testament became of no little interest to the artist in the 1990-2000s. A large series of drawings in Indian ink "Sublime Song of Solomon", 1994-1996 is full of flavour of the Middle East. Distinctively and in not traditional way A. Kashkurevich interpreted evangelic stories "Temptation of Christ in the Desert, Angel and Shepherds and The Return of the Prodigal Son", 1992.
Masters (1966-1967)
(The etching series "Masters", dedicated to workers of Bel...)
Partisans (1969-1970)
(A small series of engravings "Partisans" was dedicated to...)
Three Poems by Yanka Kupala
(Illustartions to the poems Barrow, Bandarouna, Lion`s Tomb.)
1962Chasteners by Ales Adamovich (1981-1982)
(A. Kashkurevich mercilessly analyzed and judged true inhu...)
The Third Generation by Kuzma Chorny
1960Snowy Winters, The Heart on the Open Palm by Ivan Shamiakin
1966The Gadfly by Ethel Lilian Voynich
1968King Stakh`s Wild Hunt by Hans Christian Andersen
1984Chasteners, The Khatyn Story by Ales Adamovich
1974The Song about Bison
1973Variations on a theme of "Faust" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
1975series of illustrations to Blizzard Stop by Chingiz Atimanov
1986Blockade
1978She and I
1970Napalm
1985Edda
1993series This Sweet City Life (1987-2004)
(Etchings: Person in an Elevator", 1988; "Crossroads", 199...)
Sublime Song of Solomon (1994-1996)
(sheets Dance with a Tambourine, Dance with Swords, Hunt o...)
Temptation of Christ in the Desert, Angel and Shepherds and The Return of the Prodigal Son
(A. Kashkurevich attempted modern interpretation of the cl...)
1992Concerto Grosso (2003-2006)
Kashkurevich was a member of Artists` Union of the BSSR (Belarus), 1960.
A. Kashkurevich was an extremely educated person, was notable for deep comprehension of world art and western European art in particular.
Arlen Kashkurevich was married to Ludmila Alyaksandrauna and had two sons.