Creative mutual influences of contemporary St. Petersburg and Chinese artists

Abstract

The end of the 20th and the 21st century is a period of active interaction between Russia and China in the field of art. Chinese fine art has been seriously influenced by the Russian academic school and the traditions of Russian realism in general. Modern Russian painting is also enriched with elements of Chinese art, since cultural contacts that influence the art of domestic artists have expanded enormously in recent decades. Interesting processes of interaction and mutual influence of different cultures take place in Petersburg art. St. Petersburg becomes the center of the intersection of East and West. These changes concern even such a stable school as the academic one, connected with the traditions of realistic art. This phenomenon needs to be studied. A special role in the artistic interchange is played by the modern St. Petersburg academic school. The novelty of this research consists in studying some phenomena of Chinese cultural life associated with the influence of St. Petersburg art and in identifying mutual influences that are found in the works of Chinese and St. Petersburg masters of painting. The article uses methods of comparative analysis, observation, and interviewing to identify common patterns of the development of art in the two countries. Contemporary St. Petersburg artists representing the academic school are extremely in demand in China, have been there many times and cooperate at various levels with representatives of the cultural community. Chinese art-collectors and artists actively cooperate with artists and develop interesting projects. During the pandemic, real contacts between countries decreased, but moved to the virtual space. Now many educational and cultural programs are held remotely. Creative ties do not weaken and this gives hope for the further development of cultural cooperation at all levels.