About the Artist

Nature, that surrounded my life, left a deep impression in my heart. I had a great opportunity to touch the energies lying in the base of world's creation - the energies as old as the world itself, the energies, that cannot be expressed with the words.

That experience lives inside me and it needs to be expressed and materialized. I chose netsuke as the most suitable form of art for this expression, where in such a little sphere, it is possible to concentrate a great meaning and communicate feelings, which could not be conveyed by words.

Although, I had my first netsuke carved in 1994, my hands are still learning to carve, but more systematically I carve since April of 2003. However, I was very fortunate to have a lot of my netsuke being obtained for the netsuke collection of HIH Princess Takamado. It is a great honor for me.

I was born in 1968 into the family of a Soviet army officer. Due to my father's occupation, I traveled the former Soviet Union back and forth. Nature left a deep imprint in my heart and still has a great influence on my work.

From 1985 I worked as a forest ranger on the Khortitsa Island, which is on Dnepr River. Then, I studied at the Ukrainian Agrarian Academy in the department of Forest Management. After my graduation I continued working in forestry as a forest engineer.

In 1991 I made a decision to change my specialty. For a period of time I worked as an artist, and later as a designer. Starting in 1993 I became a free artist.

Oriental art always captured my attention through its finesse, refinement, and some mysteriousness. I got a close look at oriental art during my trip to the Russian Far East in 1993. For a period of time I painted the figurines in national Oriental clothing. Unfortunately, I only have one picture left from that period of work: Show Sing - Chinese god of happiness and longevity.

Oriental themes in art fascinate me. In 1994 I carved my first netsuke: Dzo and Uba - classical Japanese personages, protectors of family hearth and well-being. From that time I have been captivated by netsuke carving. Among the various materials I prefer wood (the choice is probably influenced by my profession) and of course amber – the sunniest material of all. For inlays I use bone, antler, wood, nacre, metal, amber, etc.

In 2005 I became a member of International Netsuke Society.

Currently, I live with my wife Helen in a small provincial town in close proximity to Kiev on the banks of the very beautiful Ros' River. I draw my inspiration in the nature that surrounds me. In our region there is a tremendous variety of natural landscapes. There are beautiful forests. Huge granite rocks are left from a glacier's retreat. They appear on the Earth's surface along the river and are covered with lichens. In the summer, like in the Crimea, agile lizards and mantises scurry about on the heated sandy slopes and through the thyme thickets. There is of course the beautiful Ros'! Those who had a chance at least once to take a rest on the banks of Ros', always come back to spend more quality time here.

I constantly observe and examine. From my observations, feelings and thoughts are born. These feelings and thoughts I try to convey in my works. I would appreciate your comments and thoughts about my creative work!

Thank you!

Sergey Osipov

奥西波夫作品目录