This year, The Byrne Gallery celebrates its 28th anniversary coinciding with the 20th annual exhibition of Yuri Gorbachev’s fabulous paintings! Susan Byrne and Bill Byrne are proud to celebrate the vivid oil and enamel paintings of this internationally acclaimed artist.
The Gallery will exhibit Yuri’s works from November 1st through December 31st. There will be a special reception for him on Saturday, November 11th at the gallery from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to this rare event.
As many of you know from following his work over the years, Yuri loves animals!!! There are over 50 different types of animals represented in his paintings and books. Yuri has painted themes with wild jungle animals from his travels in Bali, domestic, farm and forest animals from his childhood home in the rural village of Uglovka and his Evolution Series chronicles all the abundance of life along the way. This 2023 exhibition will feature Yuri’s wildlife and jungle paintings with gold, silver, and copper leaf from the New York Series. Earlier this year, many of these works were exhibited in the Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden, and New York.
This exhibit also features paintings with a sophisticated varnish finish, yielding a deep richness and glazing to his work. Yuri’s unique technique incorporates fine art resins which add extra shine and luster to surfaces. One immediately recognizes the Faberge quality of the glossy enamel and its reminiscence of the nineteenth century.
As many know, Yuri Gorbachev’s Mother’s family is from Ukraine. During the Soviet era, his mother was incarcerated by Stalin and the drawings and gifts she sent from the prison camp to Yuri as a boy ultimately inspired him to become an artist. Yuri still maintains a family residence in Odessa where he would vacation every summer with his Mother up until her passing. Yuri became a US citizen in 1994 under a special 1991 visa program for individuals possessing extraordinary ability in the arts and sciences.
This year a portion of the sales from the exhibition will be donated to the families of Ukraine through The International Rescue Committee (IRC) for Ukrainian Refugees. This organization is consistently awarded top marks by charity watchdog groups for efficient use of contributions and overall impact.
With over 50 years of exhibitions worldwide, Yuri has had more than 200 solo exhibitions. He estimates that over two billion people have seen his artwork. Yuri’s work hangs in the permanent collections of the Louvre, The Hermitage and several other Russian State Museums. He has been featured in publications like Elle, GQ, Forbes, the New York Times – several of which carried his famous 2011 advertisement for Stolichnaya Vodka.
Yuri says his “favorite solo show is in Middleburg.” He loves the natural scenery of the countryside and the warm friendships he has developed over these past 2 decades of exhibitions here. Please celebrate him at the opening reception November 11th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and everyone is cordially invited to attend.