About Alexey Zelya
А man of phenomenal visual memory, clever fingers of skilled craftsman, inquisitive mind of scientist and impressionable artistic soul Аlexey Zelya already at work with quartz glass during last 40 years. Many years of unremitting toils allowed him to develop widest range of processing such non-traditional material in the world of glassmaking. Alexey Zelya’s works were recognized by the top art experts and in 1993 he was awarded with a highest rank for artists in Russian Federation – People’s Artist of Russia.
Alexey was born in 1944 in the Moscow family concerned in art and respectful of science, especially in biology. Then followed school, army, the beginning of the biology education in the Moscow University. However, everyday circumstances prevented him from his biology cаrееr. Не began to work at the Moscow Electrical Lamp-factory. At the age of 27 he created his first glass-statuette, appeared as the opener for the whole animal statuette series. His glass animals («Lama», «Rhinoceros», «Hedgehog») made in 70-th, reflects master’s love to the nature.
During 80-th Zelya made many airy sparkle compositions («White chrysanthemums», «Cactuses», «Winter morning», «Ermine», «Antarctica», «Penguins», «Fox and the Grape», «Ostrich Rhea», «Dandelions»). Such works like «Flowering stump», «Russian field», «Indian summer» and «Dogrose» shows the beauty of Russian nature, saturated with many details and biologically accurate.
All of Zelya works are decorative, except for his girandole series – «Wedding», «Latgal» and «Ashberry». The beauty of the material and its aesthetic qualities may be seen in a series of works devoted to the history of sailing ships. Created in different years, unique complexity of galleons, frigates, brigantines testify the top skill of the wizard. Three parts of his «Pushkiniana» («Inspiration», «The Кеrn Lane» and «The Golden Cockerel») demonstrate his look to the new art image and appear as dignities to the great Russian poet – Alexander Pushkin. Talented artist reveals the aesthetic qualities of glass – there is a new discovery in each work. Different compositions manifest all the new colors and their combinations.
His first personal exhibition took place in the artistic salon in 1980. Ever since over than 150 exhibitions were arranged in different Russian and Ukrainian cities with hundreds thousands visitors attended. Nowadays Alexey Zelya lives in his country house in Moscow region, where he fitted up his workshop. He created over than 200 works, which composed author’s collection. Biggest part of the collection presented as two travelling expositions voyaging around Russia.
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