Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, December 21, 2022: Oleg Lobykin, a Russian-born, American sculptor (#1731)

Oleg Lobykin (1966) is a Russian-born, American sculptor. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Lobykin now resides in Silicon Valley and also specializes in the restoration of landmark architecture and sculpture.

Oleg has roots in a tradition of the old work craft of stone carving yet considers himself “an international man and product of globalization.” He defies labels and strives to show how old and new, timeless and contemporary, familiar and unexpected elements can combine to reveal hidden truths. His work explores connections between what is known and emerging insights about the nature of life. He is a sculptor interested in conceptual art and likes to use modern tools and technology as an opportunity to reach new heights.

Lobykin exhibits in the San Francisco Bay Area and has completed a number of projects in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Japan. Clients have included Stanford University, The Presidio Trust, The City of Cupertino, The City of San Jose, Cathedral Stoneworks Inc., The Denver Public Library, Yale University, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Cloisters), The Cathedral Church St. John the Divine, The Jewish Museum NYC, Alabama Limestone Co., & Artists and Architects.

"While I’m a classically trained master stone carver, as an artist and sculptor I work in a variety of materials to express my conceptually driven ideas in novel sculptural form, experimenting with texture, materials, color, or interactive elements. I try to realize the potential of art as my contribution to society.

Observing the natural world and mystery of transformation inspires me. My work depicts an ongoing search for the origins of form and exploration of portals to other dimensions. Shifting realities is a recurring theme in this work, as are transformation and challenging perception. Ideas that are thought-provoking, impactful, and engaging take form in the visible realm.

The existence of one essential particle of matter can amaze us with its pure aesthetic pleasure. It represents the basic urge to create, linking the physical to the metaphysical world. This points to a larger truth, of harmony in contradictions. There is no bad without good, there is no darkness without light, there is no death without birth. Everything has a purpose even if it’s not known to us at the moment.

Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, I now live in East Palo Alto, California, with my wife, our daughter, a dog and three cats, and the creations of my imagination.

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