Sanya Kantarovsky’s murky characters depict dark, complex narratives

Russian artist Sanya Kantarovsky’s paintings are inspired by his early memories of Moscow in both style and the themes he alludes to. His works often depict crowded and layered scenes full of flat shapes and lean, sinewy characters that would look perfectly at home on a cover of The New Yorker. Yet Sanya pushes his paintings further, playing with the surreal and abstract, by adorning chairs with human features and creating ambiguous silhouettes in the backgrounds of his works.

The artist has just exhibited at Frieze London with gallery Stuart Shave, and his cartoon-like approach gives him the freedom to present ideas rather than just narratives. Social-political commentary and scrutinising the notion of the “artist” are just some of the subjects touched upon in Sanya’s paintings. These complex notions are mirrored by the murky tones and rich hues present in the artist’s works and the deep colours are achieved through a mix of oil, pastel, watercolour and oil stick on canvas.