Dvornik a.k.a. Iouri Khamitov

Biography: Iouri Khamitov, nom de plume Yuri Dvornik, was born in 1947 in Vladikavkaz City, Russia. He attended the Moscow School of Art to study painting and art restoration. He worked as a restorer for a time "giving new life to old paintings." He also trained as an architectural designer. Dvornik's paintings are realistic in style and yet idealist in subject matter. There is no political struggle or turmoil illustrated in these paintings, only the serene streets themselves.

In 1976, he became a member of the Union of Russian Artists, the famed Soviet sponsorship that was highly sought after during the Soviet rule. Because of his opposition to the political system of the Soviet Union at the time, the KGB cancelled his membership and he was forced into artistic seclusion for 16 years. He was unable to show his paintings in any of the sponsored exhibitions.

To help support himself through this hardship he became a street cleaner in the streets of Moscow. He continued to paint using the new found pen name Dvornik, which in Russia means street cleaner. He used his experience as a street worker to create his new style and subject matter. The sunwashed streets themselves. Through the cleansing of his canvases and his identity, Dvornik's career began anew. He started selling his paintings and organizing shows in Izmalov Park. As perestroyka set in Dvornik became more involved with promoting shows to benefit the victims of Chernobyl and handicapped children throughout Russia. He has since had exhibitions of his work throughout Europe and in Greece.

Since his arrival in the United States, several galleries have sponsored this outstanding artist. This exposure has fostered the creation of an international private collector base. Dvornik has had solo shows in New York, the first in 1996. His shows have been well received by his ever growing audience.