Alexander Maslak

Alexander Maslak (born April 14, 1958) is a Russian painter known for his richly detailed still lifes and thematic compositions inspired by classical European art. He was born into a naval engineering family in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), but his early exposure to literature, theater, and museums—especially through his mother—sparked a deep interest in the arts.

At age 12, Maslak was accepted into the prestigious Leningrad Secondary Art School, placing him at the heart of the city’s cultural and artistic heritage. He later studied monumental painting at the Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under Professor Andrei Mylnikov, whose emphasis on classical traditions deeply influenced Maslak’s style.

Maslak’s work is characterized by a retrospective and illusionistic approach, drawing inspiration from Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo masters. His still lifes, in particular, reflect the influence of 17th-century Dutch painters, celebrating the material world with precision and elegance. In the 1990s, he traveled extensively through France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, where direct encounters with European masterpieces further shaped his artistic vision.

He continues to live and work in Saint Petersburg, creating paintings that blend historical reverence with contemporary sensibility.