Sergey Koval

Sergey Koval (b. 1960) is a Russian painter who specialises in seascapes. He studied the painting theory and techniques of the Dutch, Flemish and Italian old masters, in particular glazing, a technique in which transparent layers of oil paint are built up to produce depth and brilliance. As part of his academic training he made copies of the works of Aivazovsky, the luminary painter of seascapes, for Russian museums.

"The painter's world outlook and attitude was influenced greatly by the Chinese philosophy of arts. 'When you paint a tree you have to feel how it grows'. These words of Su Shi represent Sergey Koval’s artistic credo. Natural elements, with all their intrinsic dynamics, live in his soul. Koval writes: 'Be a sun or a sun ray for a while, feel as if you were touching rocks or sails softly, vibrating and sparkling on the water surface. Try to imagine as if you were water. Imagine that you are a stone that is being stroked and caressed by waves for a thousand years'."