Martin Lawrence Galleries

Liudmila Kondakova’s first childhood memories were all bright color: reds, blues, greens, yellows, and whites. She recalls that her first persistent question to the adults around her was “What color is this”? Painting absorbs Kondakova’s whole being. If she is not painting, she is thinking about her current or future projects. Days when she does not work, she considers lost. Liudmila Kondakova painted with egg tempera for many years. It is an unforgiving technique. If you make a mistake, you have to start over. Through this process, she learned planning and discipline, and she uses those skills to create highly detailed paintings of her favorite cities, places, and spaces.  She starts painting from the farthest background area, and she works forward. From the darkest parts of the painting to the lightest, as if she is bringing her composition from darkness to light. Paris is a city that Kondakova has portrayed time and again in her work, and its architecture has inspired many of her works.

“Chambord” is part of Liudmila Kondakova’s Chateaux series. A nod to the artists' love for architecture and culture.  In “Chambord (Chateaux)” Liudmila Kondakova brings to artistic life one of the most recognizable chateaux in the world. Chambord is recognized for its distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structure. The detail and precision shown in the painting are indicative of Liudmila Kondakova Russian Iconography background, which is rich in details and requires specific techniques to achieve. Although the structure is enchanting on its own, Liudmila Kondakova brings forth a magical quality in “Chambord (Chateaux)” that make her work unique, and relatable.

So rich is this artwork in detail that we can sense the coming evening through the darkened purple skies, and the reflection of Chambord on the lake is an added detail that makes Kondakova’s work unique.  “Chambord (Chateaux)” is a 16 x 23 – inch, hand-signed serigraph on paper created by the artist in 1996.