Veniamin Smirnov traveled extensively across the Russian North. Inspired by his journeys to the areas beyond the Arctic Circle and the shores of the Arctic Ocean, the artist interpreted his impressions in various sculptural works. Although his statues had real-life prototypes, they were not portraits of specific people, but rather artistic images symbolizing general archetypes. In his works, Smirnov tried to reveal the inner world of the Arctic region and the epic and monumental character of its peoples.

In the fall of 1968, Veniamin Smirnov went on a creative assignment to Chukotka on behalf of the Artists’ Union of the USSR. After this trip, he published an art book titled “Chukotka”. Having traveled thousands of kilometers on foot, by dog sled, cross-country vehicle, helicopter, plane, and ship, the artists returned with many drawings, prints, watercolors, statues, and poems. They also got the opportunity to observe the customs of local peoples, sketch from life, and participate in whaling and walrus hunting.

By creating these three female figures, the sculptor achieved expressive minimalism, simplicity, and lightness. This is Veniamin Smirnov’s distinctive style: the shapes are not detailed, the silhouettes are used in a creative way, and the lines are calm and expressive at the same time. The women’s static poses symbolize the stillness of the silent tundra and its monotonous landscape, while the child among them represents the sense of continuation and a new generation.

Colleagues described Smirnov’s artistic skills in the following way,

Smirnov combined the sculptural form with a painting-like style, coloring the surface of statues with salts. Color contributed to the perception of volume and was used by the sculptor in a very delicate manner: the chamotte mass and color were combined perfectly in his works. Chamotte, or firesand, is a material that for a long time was considered unsuitable for sculpture. Having adopted the methods of his Latvian colleagues, Smirnov worked with chamotte in a free and skillful manner. The Baltic minimalism, metaphors, and subtle psychological content also appeared in his work.

Having mastered the technique of ceramic art, Smirnov created decorative artworks, combining the expressive means of different plastic arts. His most iconic works include “Vorkuta Ring”, “Blue Night”, “Son of the North”, and “Black Blizzard”. They formed the beginning of a new sculptural tradition in the Komi Republic.