A cinematic approach to painting

An interview with artist Ilya Filatov

Hi everyone! Welcome to issue 10 of our #ourstudents series — a run of interviews in which our students talk about themselves and their art.

This issue’s guest is Ilya Filatov — a painter. Ilya has lived and worked in St. Petersburg for more than ten years.

He came to art almost by accident: while working in graphic design, he started drawing for himself and for friends. That’s how the groundwork for his start began to build up.

As I’ve gone deeper into the scene over the years, I’ve seen how vast it is and how rich in people, events and beauty. Seeing viewers respond warmly to what I was making, I decided to put all my main energy into realizing myself as an artist. And I’m still at it, full force, — Ilya Filatov.

How do you feel about the art market in Russia?

Every year I watch the scene in Russia trying to grow and pick up speed. It all looks very positive. Early on — about five years ago — I assumed I’d treat my home country as a launchpad and then lean toward working abroad. Now I can see that you can absolutely build a career here and become a recognized, successful artist. The number of fairs and galleries grows every year. And that’s genuinely good news.

What themes do you raise in your art?

Through my work I try to open up relationships of friendship and love, and states like intimacy and pleasure. Using a cinematic approach to making my pieces, I want to capture moments that feel lifted out of films — like freeze frames. I’d like each frame to hold a whole story. Sometimes I leave the narrative open, letting the viewer finish the story with their own imagination. What matters to me is conveying the feeling of the moment.

In my pieces I put the emphasis on personal stories, and I reveal a character through the details I choose. I also pay attention to symbolism, both of objects and of ideas. I want to show people’s inner worlds and the way they broadcast their emotions and states outward.

What do you enjoy most in the work itself?

Working with color, with the brush… for me that’s a pleasure all its own. Taking part and at the same time almost watching from the outside as a stroke of paint lands and says what you can’t put into words.

What inspires you?

I stopped believing in inspiration a long time ago. Or more precisely, I call it something else. A trained eye and regular work “at the easel” — that’s what actually “inspires” you. You feed your brain information, and later it gives it back. That’s also why I think your hands can never really drop — you can’t not make things when there’s so much beauty around you. Whether that’s someone else’s art or simply whatever surrounds you right now, in the moment.

How do you feel about contemporary art fairs?

Every contemporary art fair held over the year matters a great deal to me. I try to visit them all in person, or at least follow them through announcements if I can’t be in the city where a particular fair is taking place.

It always gives you an overall picture of what institutional venues are showing — what themes the artists they present are working with, and exactly how. That always helps you keep developing and aim to become part of these events yourself.

How did the course help you develop your practice and reach your goals?

The course was without a doubt very useful to me, and I’m deeply grateful for it. It helped me put structure on absolutely everything — my thoughts, my work, my plans and goals, my paperwork. It helped me understand what can get you into the scene.

In some moments it confirmed that you’re doing things right and simply need to keep going — it gave me the drive to move forward. And it handed me plenty of tools to do that with.

I’m still watching the huge amount of feedback artists gave and keep giving — it’s wonderful. Seeing the community grow, seeing so many grateful artists, feels like the clearest sign that all of this works and really helps! Thank you 🙂