Ani and Andrew Abakumov
Selo Romashkovo, Moscow Region, Odintsovsky District
Husband and wife duo Ani and Andrew Abakumov create vintage-style portraits and landscapes. They combine Andrew’s programming expertise and Ani’s art history background to bring their subjects to life. A chance encounter with black-and-white fiber artwork led them to question whether they could produce colored portraits using only straight lines of thread. “We realized that we needed to combine our efforts and talents to make our dream come true,” says Andrew. He developed a special algorithm for Ani to use as a blueprint for their creations. Part of their creative process is listening to string music while Ani weaves in their home studio. In their spare time, Ani and Andrew enjoy traveling and walking in the forest near Moscow.
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Artist Statement
Our complicated artistic journey started when we became acquainted with Petros Vrellis's black-and-white works. Bizarre forms fascinated us and provoked a desire to create something similar, only deeper, lively, colorful, and honest. We asked ourselves: is it possible to make a colorful art object in the same manner? Nobody had done it before.
I (Andrew) create a unique algorithm, then I prepare the canvas by driving in nails. And after that, Ani pulls on threads for hours, days, weeks, and months - that is how the image gradually appears. The number of tones is made by a small number of colored treads - the color palette expands significantly because of numerous crossings and layering. It is interesting to know that it takes about 4 kilometers of thread to make a small round artwork. And if to speak about a big one, it usually takes 20 kilometers of thread.
Artworks that were made for our first personal exhibition in Moscow "The Escaping Thread" are inspired by vintage images that were taken from an old album from the 1910s and 1920s. We found the album in Paris while walking through one of the flea markets. That was the thing that pushed us to a new chapter of development for our artistic system. We decided to give a new breath to these images, to revive vintage cards. They became more complicated and multilayered but remained light and attractive.
I (Andrew) create a unique algorithm, then I prepare the canvas by driving in nails. And after that, Ani pulls on threads for hours, days, weeks, and months - that is how the image gradually appears. The number of tones is made by a small number of colored treads - the color palette expands significantly because of numerous crossings and layering. It is interesting to know that it takes about 4 kilometers of thread to make a small round artwork. And if to speak about a big one, it usually takes 20 kilometers of thread.
Artworks that were made for our first personal exhibition in Moscow "The Escaping Thread" are inspired by vintage images that were taken from an old album from the 1910s and 1920s. We found the album in Paris while walking through one of the flea markets. That was the thing that pushed us to a new chapter of development for our artistic system. We decided to give a new breath to these images, to revive vintage cards. They became more complicated and multilayered but remained light and attractive.
Press
Portraits in Threads
an algorithm and an artist carefully compose portraits from thousands of lines of thread
Algorithm and Thread
With thread and an algorithm, a Russian artist reproduces famous paintings
On a live thread
Andrey and Ani Abakumov in the Artstory gallery
This artist is beloved by many collectors across the country, however they do not have any reviews here yet. Questions?