Local Artist Brings Supernatural To BBC

The art of Mihail Kivachitsky is as complex as the artist.

Kivachitsky displayed a collection of pictures and paintings at the in Menlo Park this weekend. And according to Kivachitsky, much of the exhibit included depictions of the world around him.

"This reflects the real life nature and symbols that I see in the universe," he said.

But the paintings are not simply images illustrating mundane daily events. Rather, Kivachitsky's work straddles the border between reality and the supernatural. And at times it even often melts the realms together. This may be a result of his background. 

The Mountain View resident is a native of the former Soviet Union, which is where he honed his skills as a painter, illustrator and sculptor over the course of the first half of his life. Today, the 39-year-old Kivachitsky uses inspiration drawn from the variety of cultures he has experienced to create art that is fascinatingly unique. 

One painting exhibited Saturday showed the bust of an eyeless young woman, with a small blue bird perched on her shoulder, wearing what appeared to be the bird's nest as a crown. A setting of blue, pink and purple clouds lay behind the girl and the bird, imposing a transcendental sensation on the viewer.

It is by intention that the characters in Kivachitsky's works seem to exist in a space without time or place, he said.

Kivachitsky called his art "very illusional," and said he attempts to transform the way people see his art, as it is surrounded by their reality. And though some pieces seem quite abstract, Kivachitsky is masterful in his ability to simultaneously capture an ever-present essence of nature in most of his work.

Another painting exhibited Saturday showed a woman standing on the nose of a rowboat amidst dark blue water, as a humongous fish swam in the sky above her. Superimposed on top of the fish lay an image of the Big Dipper constellation.

As much as the image felt like a scene from a science fiction movie or scenario from a tall tale, some elements of the piece hinted at the artist's sense of realism. The details of the boat and the woman's clothing provide points worthy of elaboration. 

Just as his art seems both true and false at the same time, Kivachitsky said he often attempts to create work in the grey area that exists between fact and fiction.

"I'm trying to open eyes," said Kivachitsky.

And while standing amidst the dynamic images depicted in his paintings and drawings, Kivachitsky said he hoped that his work would be well received by local residents so that his first exhibit Saturday in Menlo Park would not be his last.

Kivachitsky said he believed the old-world aesthetic of the British Bankers Club tied together well with the timeless feel of his works.

The artist who has completed commissioned art projects across the world, including for the Russian government, said he planned to return to the bar and restaurant in order to later show off his sculptures.

Kivachitsky said that he may come back to the British Bankers Club in September to put on a larger exhibit.