I prefer to work in a studio, using photographs as source material and a starting point for creating a drawing and composition. In general, I love looking at photographs.

For the most part, I create using a tempera technique. The foundation of my work lies in careful preparation of panels – I do this myself because I believe it to be a thoughtful and very personal moment in the evolution of a painting.

I reflect on that which surrounds me and is available to my attention. I constantly observe people and objects, and how they move and work together. I do this without exaggeration or distortion, but I try to create a somewhat strange, calming effect.

I would like you, the viewer, to experience a pleasant feeling of peace and nostalgia when looking at my work, with a barely noticeable sensation of a magical background that encompasses all that surrounds us. My joy is to witness this and express it.

The richness of layers and the time spent on preparation slowly saturates the works with meaning that cannot be fully expressed in clear formulas.

GENNADI BARBUSH
April 2026

I was born in the capital of Moldavia, the city of Kishinev, on March 1, 1966, into a family of Russian-Romanian origin. I grew up without a father. I graduated from Soviet school No. 16 and then studied for two years at a vocational-technical training school (PTU).

In 1984, I was drafted into the Army. I served in Kazakhstan, Kyzyl-Orda, and spent two years in the steppe.

I married in 1989, and in 1992, emigrated to the United States. In art, I am largely self-taught but took classes at the New York Academy of Art under Professor Leonid Gervits, an artist and instructor focusing on portraiture and figurative painting.

Currently, I live in New Jersey with my wife and two children.