Anton Shkurko
Animal artist
My name is Anton Shkurko. I was born in 1970 in Perm, a city in the Urals, one of the most beautiful and distinctive corners of northern Russia.
I started drawing since I was a child. My parents tell me that I painted my first pet when I was three years old. Why animals? I don't know. Probably because they have always attracted me with their freedom and naturalness. Other children drew cars and knights, but I wanted to convey the plasticity of movements, character, and inner strength of wild creatures. Perhaps this is the path that is set for us from above — the path that we just need to follow, create, and share what we feel.
My work is a story about animals and birds, about their relationship in nature, about the eternal struggle and the beauty of movement.
I got the basics of drawing at art school, and later graduated from the zooengineering faculty. Knowledge of anatomy, observation of animals in zoos, villages, in the wild — all this became the basis of my artistic language.
Although I have never been a hunter myself, I often accompanied friends to the Ural forests. These hikes, conversations around the campfire, books about nature and hunting, interest in the myths and folklore of different peoples — all this has become an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
The world of animals is infinitely diverse. He lives in motion — running, flying, jumping. Even a moment of peace in him is filled with inner tension, readiness for action. There is a special, almost primordial beauty in this feeling of life, which I try to capture in my works.
It is important for me to show the moment — the very moment when nature manifests itself in all its power and drama. Maybe that's why my drawings often feature dynamic scenes, fights, and chases. Sometimes viewers see aggression in them, but children, oddly enough, perceive them differently — with interest and delight. For them, it's just the natural world, alive and real.
In recent years, I have been turning more and more to the theme of animals and birds in the mythology of the peoples of Russia. This theme is limitless — it connects ancient beliefs, symbolism and my own perception. This is how a series of works dedicated to the sacred animals of the peoples of the Urals, Slavic and Turkic cultures appeared.
Most of my work is done in colored pencil, which is my favorite material. It is precise, expressive, allows you to convey the smallest details and at the same time create a sense of picturesqueness. Despite its apparent simplicity, the pencil provides great opportunities for large, mood-rich compositions.
I will be glad if my works allow you to immerse yourself in the world of wild nature for a moment, to feel the energy of movement, beauty and the power of life. Maybe they will remind you of a book you've read, a trip, or just a meeting with nature — the one that is next to us and inside us.
Sincerely, Anton Shkurko
I started drawing since I was a child. My parents tell me that I painted my first pet when I was three years old. Why animals? I don't know. Probably because they have always attracted me with their freedom and naturalness. Other children drew cars and knights, but I wanted to convey the plasticity of movements, character, and inner strength of wild creatures. Perhaps this is the path that is set for us from above — the path that we just need to follow, create, and share what we feel.
My work is a story about animals and birds, about their relationship in nature, about the eternal struggle and the beauty of movement.
I got the basics of drawing at art school, and later graduated from the zooengineering faculty. Knowledge of anatomy, observation of animals in zoos, villages, in the wild — all this became the basis of my artistic language.
Although I have never been a hunter myself, I often accompanied friends to the Ural forests. These hikes, conversations around the campfire, books about nature and hunting, interest in the myths and folklore of different peoples — all this has become an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
The world of animals is infinitely diverse. He lives in motion — running, flying, jumping. Even a moment of peace in him is filled with inner tension, readiness for action. There is a special, almost primordial beauty in this feeling of life, which I try to capture in my works.
It is important for me to show the moment — the very moment when nature manifests itself in all its power and drama. Maybe that's why my drawings often feature dynamic scenes, fights, and chases. Sometimes viewers see aggression in them, but children, oddly enough, perceive them differently — with interest and delight. For them, it's just the natural world, alive and real.
In recent years, I have been turning more and more to the theme of animals and birds in the mythology of the peoples of Russia. This theme is limitless — it connects ancient beliefs, symbolism and my own perception. This is how a series of works dedicated to the sacred animals of the peoples of the Urals, Slavic and Turkic cultures appeared.
Most of my work is done in colored pencil, which is my favorite material. It is precise, expressive, allows you to convey the smallest details and at the same time create a sense of picturesqueness. Despite its apparent simplicity, the pencil provides great opportunities for large, mood-rich compositions.
I will be glad if my works allow you to immerse yourself in the world of wild nature for a moment, to feel the energy of movement, beauty and the power of life. Maybe they will remind you of a book you've read, a trip, or just a meeting with nature — the one that is next to us and inside us.
Sincerely, Anton Shkurko
