Nikolai Chystiakov

Nikolai Chystiakov was born on Nov 3, 1981 in Minsk, Belarus.  Nikolai showed an interest and talent in art early in his youth. At age six, Nikolai’s teachers recommended that he attend the Minsk Art School.  There, he met his first art teacher, Konstantin Mizin, and began his fine art education.  After his time at the Minsk Art School, Nikolai chose to further his training by studying at the Minsk Lyceum of Arts. He took a course of aquarelle paintings and it was there that he made his first oil paintings.

In 2000 Nikolai passed his examinations and was accepted to the Belarussian State Academy of the Arts. He took drawing lessons at the studio of artist and teacher Viktor Nemtsov, and went on to study with Belarussian artists: Nikolai Kireev, Vladimir Tolvstik and Alexander Ksendvov. Nikolai focused on painting portraits and nudes, developing the skill and control of the figure that is evident in his current work. During his summers, Nikolai traveled in Crimea and Ukraine, painting a series of studies. He was learning a new, impressionistic style that would influence the development of his next paintings.

In June 2003 Nikolai Chystiakov won the First Annual FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING competition, and in September he moved to New York City to pursue his career in art.  Nikolai’s newest paintings display a traditional command of the human form and a romantic treatment of mood and light.

“… I aspire to paint light, color and emotions.”