About

Nikolai Makarov, an world renowned Russian born artist living in Berlin, believes that “the work of art should captivate the spectators allowing them to draw into contemplation by bringing its subject into focus within their minds and thoughts”.

In his paintings, Nikolai Makarov challenges the bounds of perception and beguiles the senses by enshrouding his subjects in a foggy transparent veil. Reality is merged with the fantastic; his intention is to impart visually ascertainable elements while veiling reality and atmospherically altering the scenes. Subjects are alienated in favour of suggestive intensity. The more the portrayal departs from its embodiment of reality—though invariably allowed to remain explicable—and the subjective impression prevails, the better it is capable of calling forth heterogeneous but illusionary associations.

Nikolai Makarov is the founder of the Museum of Stillness, located in the historic centre of Berlin. With the establishment of this institution, Makarov was able to realize the creation of a space that approaches his conception of the ideal mode of pictorial presentation. The large apartment, remodelled upon his initiative, is viewed by Makarov as a ‘sacred’ meditational site, in which the contemplative workings of his paintings are aptly able to unfurl.

Nikolai Makarov's paintings are part of museum and public collections in the United States, Germany, and Russia, including Museum of Fine Arts (Leipzig), Lindenau Museum (Altenburg), Museum of Modern Art - Berlinische Galerie (Berlin), Arnot Art Museum (New York).