Bizarre Russian Impasto Painting

I purchased this painting about 7 or 8 years ago at the Goodwill. Luckily at the time I was still working, I had one of my Russian colleagues and my brother, who studied Russian in college, help me with the translation. So my understanding is the artist's name is Ilya Hodyrev or Khodyrev, it was painted in Moscow in 1990 and the title is "Mordecai". I was hoping that someone might have a connection in Russia that could help me out, I can't find anything on the artist. I am starting to suspect that it may have been a street artist. In addition would this piece be considered non-conformist art?

 

It's interesting that there is a question mark next to the word for Moscow. I wonder why?

 

I found a Russian page with information about an artist of that name that could possibly be the right one. Here is a Google translation of what the page says:
"Graduated from the Moscow Art School in memory of 1905. In the early 1990s, he was a member of the "Hereafter" group. Lives and works in Moscow."

It also says he was born in Novgorod in 1967. Here is a link to the web page:
https://russianartarchive.net/ru/catalogue/person/PCBCS

The "Moscow Art School in memory of 1905" is the name of the school from which he graduated. This is a current website for that school. https://maxycollege.ru/

There is a different artist of that name who was a theatrical designer. He was born in 1907 and died in 1991. Slightly possible it was him, but I'm thinking less likely.
Wikipedia article in Russian about that artist: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ходырев,_Илья_Михайлович

 

Thanks so much for finding that. There are some exhibition brochures in the archive. It looks like none of the galleries he showed at are in business anymore. This gives me a lot more to work with. Good Work!

 

I didn't look at the brochures. Did you find some way to tell whether it is the same artist that painted your picture?

 

Not yet, I am working on the translation.

 

Okay, good!

 

I think it's most likely, this is by the icon painer born in 1967. Given that it was painted in the latest period of perestroika, after the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, and, most importantly after the first Sotheby's auction in Moscow in 1987 that marked the interest in the unofficial artists, it can still be considered unofficial art, but keeping in mind that it was rather mainstream by then.

 

I didn't realize the guy born in 1967 was the icon painter. I found him when I 1st bought the painting and had sort of dismissed him because all of the examples of his work looked nothing like mine. Did you get a chance to read the exhibition brochures on the archive site? I have been translating a word at a time, it is a tedious process.

 

The brochure that could shed light on his work is by request only - from "Garage" Museum of Contemporary Art. It looks like an anthology of literary work with some works of this artist. Not sure if they can give access to this material online. Usually, they ask to consult their archives in place.
https://russianartarchive.net/ru/catalogue/document/L36478
This press release lists his biography. https://russianartarchive.net/ru/catalogue/document/E2308 He started his participation in group exhibitions quite late - in 1987, in the venues of the Committee of Graphic Artists - that's where many nonconformist exhibitions took place in the 1970s - 1980s; but 1987, is by far too late to attract the attention of art market. I think he tried to catch up with contemporary tendencies, and then switched to icon painting.
I have found this sold painting (it's in google cache because they page doesn't exist).
https://webcache.googleusercontent....rov_1817786301+&cd=16&hl=es-419&ct=clnk&gl=mx

 

Thanks, the google cache link is most certainly the same person. The similarity of the documentation on the back of the canvas would seem to confirm that.

 

Great information, very interesting.