Divya Agarwal
New Delhi [India], November 28: This December, two inaugural exhibitions by People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Nikas Safronov will be staged in India with the support of Rosneft Oil Company. According to the artist, the project will be realised to a high technological standard and will serve as the starting point of a significant international exhibition program. In an interview with the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, Safronov discussed his creative inspirations, his attitude toward commercial success in art, and the use of artificial intelligence in painting.
Safronov’s first Indian exhibition will run in New Delhi from 7 to 21 December, followed by a second in Mumbai from 25 December to 15 January. A total of 96 works will be exhibited; many are executed in the artist’s signature “Dream Vision” style, and ten were explicitly created for India. Safronov emphasised that the project was made possible thanks to support from Rosneft Oil Company. “The company funds many cultural initiatives and creates an important link between Russia and the world. Culture unites people best because it speaks a universal language — the language of positive emotion. I am glad to have become part of these significant and benevolent initiatives,” he said.
For the artist, participation in the international project also carries personal and spiritual meaning: it fulfils a blessing from Pope Francis, who, shortly before his death in February 2025, encouraged Safronov to “build spiritual bridges — in the Vatican, across Europe, and around the world.”
In the interview, Safronov recalled his meeting with Pope Francis: “I was deeply moved that he did not cancel our meeting despite his ill health. We met, and it became clear that the encounter mattered to him, too. I presented him with a spiritual painting — depicting the Basilica of San José de Flores, where he began his ministry in Buenos Aires.” He noted that the pontiff was well acquainted with Russian culture and wished for it to become better known worldwide.
Preparing for the India exhibitions, Safronov said he immersed himself in the country’s cultural and historical context. “I studied images of Shiva and Brahma, the Taj Mahal, Varanasi, the landscape, architecture and various iconic sites. To capture the atmosphere, I carefully studied Roerich’s paintings to view India and Tibet through his eyes once more,” he explained.
The Indian presentations will take place in two museums and will be staged using contemporary technologies. “The presentation will be serious, owing to Rosneft Oil Company’s involvement,” Safronov said. “There will be 15 distinct zones, multimedia projections, LED and volumetric screens, cutting-edge technologies using neuro-mirrors, animated ‘living’ paintings, and targeted spot lighting. Visitors will be able to approach the paintings and see them glow from within. In short, it will be beautiful and impressive.”
Safronov spoke at length about the role of artificial intelligence in art. He stated that he does not oppose the technology itself ,but does not believe AI can replace a living artist: “Artificial intelligence can offer suggestions, but it cannot do the work for you. Nor can it invent something radically new in art — it is, after all, an algorithm that operates according to a template set by humans and uses the information loaded into it.”
At the same time, he acknowledged that certain functions can be entrusted to neural networks. “AI can effectively convey your idea to the viewer, make a painting feel ‘alive,’ create something like a metaverse based on the work, and immerse someone in it through technology. It can reveal details of a piece that are not always visible to the naked eye on the original. Live art combined with VR and AR technologies is no longer the future — it is our present,” he said.
Safronov also described his signature Dream Vision style, which made him widely recognizable: “It’s like the dream you see just before waking. When you wake up, you remember it for about fifteen minutes. The last impressions — half-blurred and already fading — transfer onto the canvas.”
He explained that the sources of these images are varied: “A visit to misty Venice, Pompeii with its blurred frescoes, or a foggy morning in a Russian forest. It is a complex technique, but it is rooted in professionalism — in knowledge of perspective, draftsmanship, and color.”
Asked about portraiture, Safronov stressed that the inner dimension of the subject is most important to him. “In a portrait — character, the psychology of the person. You must intuit their psychotype, feel and convey not so much their external appearance as their inner world.”
Personal affinity for a model, he added, is not decisive. “If people choose you, you must treat them with respect as your audience. Social status does not matter here. I value everyone who comes simply to become acquainted with my work and those who already know me and commission pieces.”
On his studio practice, Safronov said he works mainly on his own: “I don’t have assistants. There is a restorer and a framing workshop that stretches the canvases. I used to do everything myself. But there is no assistant who could replace me — it’s very difficult to teach someone to do and think the way you do.”
The artist believes professional success is closely linked to recognition: “If an artist is well known, he is successful because people commission his work. Ninety per cent of creators were known in their lifetimes and thus left us a great legacy. If Van Dyck, Van Eyck, Bruegel, Bosch, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Goya, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo had not been recognised in their time and had not worked for patrons, we would not have inherited their masterpieces.”
When asked about his expectations for the India exhibitions, he said he hopes they will attract a broad and diverse audience: “I hope the exhibitions will be successful and draw a variety of visitors — local residents, the creative intelligentsia, schoolchildren and businesspeople. We will hold talks and master classes and engage with students. And once again, thanks to Rosneft Oil Company for supporting and helping develop this project.”
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