On 21 June 2012, the Khankhalayev Gallery at the Central House of Artists in Moscow (hall 10, floor 2) presented the opening of an exhibition by the artist Zorikto Dorzhiev, whose works have gained worldwide recognition. Over the past few years, his personal exhibitions were hosted by the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow), the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg) and by galleries in Luxemburg, Strasbourg, Brussels, London, and Tokyo.

This  exhibition, which has been arranged with the support of METROPOL Group of Companies and the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal, features the artist’s new works created over the past year and will be open till 12 August 2012.
M.V. Slipenchuk, Deputy of the State Duma of the Republic of Buryatia, T.Kh. Metaksa, Deputy Director of the Museum of Oriental Art, D.I. Vorobyev, movie producer, K.K. Khankhalayev, General Director of the gallery, and other members of the art community spoke at the opening ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by E.R. Tuzmukhamedov, a well-known reporter, musician and a friend of the artist’s.

Mr Slipenchuk, Director of the Guardianship Board of the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal, thanked the artist for the invitation to the exhibition. He said it was a significant event in the artistic world both for the Republic of Buryatia and for entire Russia. “Buryatia is rich with creative people. The Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal that I represent supports it. We would like as many people as possible in Russia and all over the world to know about Buryatia. It is time for us to enter the international art arena with self-esteem and confidence in the power of art. Zorikto Dorzhiev is one of the pioneers of this movement.”

According to Mr Khankhalayev, Director of the gallery, this Moscow exhibition of the artist is unusual, as it covers several aspects of the young artist’s art: painting, graphic art, pencil drawing, sculpture, prose, videos and artistic support in cinematography.
Mr Vorobyev spoke about Zorikto’s participation in creating A.S. Fedorchenko’s movie titled Nebesnie Zheny Lugovykh Mari (Heavenly Wives of Meadow Maris). Fragments of the “story board” of the movie created by Zorikto and film fragments are displayed at the exhibition. The movie will debut at the Venice Festival in 2012. Mr Vorobyev said that an essential feature of Zorikto’s art is its hidden dynamic that makes pictures come alive in our mind. His art is very cinematographic. This brings up a potential project to create a full-length animated movie with Zorikto’s participation. Even more so as Zorikto is now actively familiarizing himself with new technologies. At the opening ceremony, the first Russian experience of creating an art application for iPad ZorikBook was presented. The application combines painting, graphic art, videos, sculpture, television appearances and interviews.
Guests also saw a fashion show with silk clothes created based on the artist’s designs. During the fashion show, Zorikto played a few pieces on an electric guitar demonstrating his musical talent to the audience.

Zorikto Dorzhiev was born in Ulan-Ude in 1976. In 2002, he graduated from the Krasnoyarsk State Art Institute. His first solo exhibition took place in Ulan-Ude in 2004. Zorikto Dorzhiev illustrated several books including Zhestoky Vek (Cruel Age) by Isay Kalashnikov, worked on sketches for the movies Mongol by S.V. Bodrov and Dom Voskhodyashchego Solntsa (House of the Rising Sun) by Garik Sukachev. In 2011, he published Zorik Book, a collection of autobiographic and fictional stories. His experience with movie directors allowed Zorikto to create a number of short movies based on his own scripts. They were first presented at the opening of the exhibition.

Zorikto Dorzhiev and State Duma Deputy Mikhail Slipenchuk before the exhibition opening

Mikhail Slipenchuk opening the exhibition. On the right: Konstantin Khankhalayev, Erkin Tuzmukhamedov and Zorikto

Tatyana Metaksa, Deputy Director of the Museum of Oriental Art

Zorikto and Konstantin Khankhalayev, Director of the gallery, with models in national costumes created based on the artist’s designs

Silk fashion show

Gospozha (Mistress) structure

Next to the exhibition poster

Silver earring 2012, canvas, oil