Pavel Alexandrovich Belyaev (1955–2015) belonged to a generation of artists whose formative years fell to the 1980s. A generation that escaped from under the boot of ideological pressure and rushed to reap the freedom of creative pursuit. During this period, a young generation of artists appeared on the Kostroma art scene, who dared to speak the language of color, figurative imagery and new art forms.

A considerable part of the artist’s aesthetic was devoted to compositions with a color scheme permeated by golden radiance and unexpectedly appearing faces. The poses and gestures of people in such works invariably refer to the spiritual origins — the old Russian icons. They are like visions that arise in the depths of one’s consciousness and give a feeling of peace and spiritual enlightenment.

From 2005 to 2006, Pavel Belyaev actively worked on his series “In the Field of Surface Stillness”. This name very accurately reflects the meaning of his exploration and experiments with means of expression, that he conducted for many years — turning the pictorial space of his artworks into vessels for complex concepts and most subtle sensations.

Doctor of Cultural Studies, Professor Irina Anatolyevna Yedoshina noted:

Pavel Belyaev’s imagery and the subtle world that only he is able to see, can not be put into words, as they must be experienced intuitively. The only way to comprehend them is, perhaps, through concentrated contemplation and establishing one’s own spiritual connection with them.