Andakulova Gallery is pleased to present Fragments of Samarkand, a forthcoming exhibition by Andrey Krikis, a distinguished artist whose work bridges memory, history, and imaginative transformation. The exhibition brings together a selection of works that reflect Krikis’s lifelong engagement with colour, form, and the cultural landscapes of Central Asia.

Born on 19 September 1950 in Yaroslavl, Andrey Krikis moved to Uzbekistan at an early age, where his artistic sensibility was profoundly shaped. His father, an archaeologist, conducted extensive research in Samarkand, immersing the young Krikis in the historical and spiritual richness of one of the world’s most ancient cities. Summers spent at archaeological excavations in Afrosiab, evenings filled with stories of ancient civilizations, and even a formative year living within the Sher-Dor Madrasah at Registan instilled in him a deep connection to history, architecture, and myth. These early experiences later emerged in his paintings as poetic, fantastical, and emotionally charged images.

Krikis demonstrated an aptitude for drawing from childhood, guided by imagination and visual memory. His formal artistic training began at the city art school, where he studied under Antonina Vasilyevna Larina, a mentor who played a pivotal role in nurturing his talent. The city of Samarkand its people, atmosphere, and layered past became a recurring subject throughout his career. At just sixteen, his sketch The Shakhi-Zinda was published in Yuny Khudozhnik magazine, marking an early public recognition of his promise. Works such as Portrait of a Samarkand woman (1979), Winter (1982), Sogdian woman (1982), Samarkand (1983), and Madonna of Urgut (1985) exemplify his enduring dialogue with the city.

In 1976, Krikis returned to Yaroslavl and enrolled at the Yaroslavl School of Art. During this period, he actively engaged with modern and contemporary art movements, studying artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró. Experimentation with colour and form became central to his practice, as he sought to move beyond the rigid conventions of academic art. His exceptional sensitivity to colour earned him recognition among peers, who later referred to him as “the king of colour.”

An independent and highly individual artistic voice, Andrey Krikis has exhibited widely in group and solo exhibitions across Samarkand, Tashkent, Russia, and internationally. His work is distinguished by its expressive palette, imaginative compositions, and its ability to merge personal memory with collective cultural heritage.

Fragments of Samarkand at Andakulova Gallery offers audiences an opportunity to engage with the visionary world of Andrey Krikis where history, fantasy, and colour converge in a deeply personal yet universal visual language.