Artist: Ivan Alifan
Title: Three Graces
Year created: 2016
Medium: Norma Kamali "All in One Dress" with canvas, acrylic, ink jet and thread, fabric and diamond
Description of piece: As part of Diamonds Unleashed's Wearable Art Exhibit at the Mandarin Oriental Miami for Art Basel featuring CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Norma Kamali's Iconic "All in One Dress," Ivan believes art is a statement and during Art Basel sometimes being safe can be boring. So, he wanted to take a risk and create a provocative dress that gets people to think. When he imagines a strong woman wearing this dress, he imagines her being aware and proud of her sexuality. Being a gay male, who has lived in Russia, he found it difficult to express my sexuality and it’s something he takes for granted now living in New York City. In his work, his goal is to remove censorship and taboo of sex in art, to promote female masturbation and acceptance of ones’ desires. He wanted the viewer to be pulled and invited by the romanticized painting and clean pastel colors of the dress. As he walks around it and fully understands the painting, he or she is pushed away by the graphic nature of the imagery. This push and pull effect is something he have always loved about art. It disturbs us and makes us question ourselves and our understanding of what is right and wrong.
“I am a rare species, not a stereotype.” Ivan E. Coyote
Artist bio: Ivan Alifan August 1989 Rostov on Don, Russia EDUCATION B.F.A. Drawing & Painting, OCADU University. 2013 Toronto,Ontario OCAD University off campus studies. Florence, Italy ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2013: Mercedes Benz Financial Services Award "Untapped" Immerging Artist Project Award Nora E. Vaughan Award OCADU Grad Ex Medal Award Winner PUBLICATIONS New American Paintings issue 110 Le Petit Voyer issue 3 Paintguide vol 1 . EXHIBITIONS 2016: “Artists of the now” Allouche Gallery, New York , Jan “Liquid group show” Liquid Gallery , Art pier 94 New York, May “Sweets” Galerie LeRoyer , Montreal , Canada, June “Collectives” Joseph Gross Gallery , New York , Feb 2015: "New Blood", The Unit Gallery, London, UK , April “Paint Guide” The Unit Gallery, London, UK, May “Unveiled” Galerie LeRoyer , Montreal , Canada, August 2014: Group show ,Youn, Quebec, CA, December Internation Art Fair Toronto,Canada, October "Stranger than Fiction" Jonathen Levine Gallery, New York , August "The anniversary" , The Unit Gallery, London, UK, August "7 Sins", The Unit Gallery, London, UK , April 2013: Face to Face, Edwards Day Gallery, Toronto, ON Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, ON Artist Project, Toronto , February Annual Graduate Exhibition, OCADU, Toronto, ON 2012: Red-Dot Miami Art Show Hermitage Museum student show, St. Petersburg Russia Art Expo, Toronto, April Art Expo, New York, March Bronze Frog Gallery, Oakville, November 2011 OCAD University Florence Campus, "Vestiges". Florence, Italy Art Expo, New York , March Bronze Frog Gallery, Oakville, November.
Over the course of both Art Miami and Art Basel, Diamonds Unleashed will partner with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to bring fashion to the forefront. By teaming up with CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Norma Kamali, DIAMONDS UNLEASHED will create a one-of-a-kind wearable art exhibit in the hotel’s lobby from November 27th through December 4th. The exhibit will highlight the classic Norma Kamali “All in One” dress which will be the canvas for artists whose talents range from nail art, tattooing, illustrating and painting. Each artist will customize the dresses by interpreting the DIAMONDS. Participating artists include Mei Kawajiri, Stuart Semple, Julia Heffernan, PJ Linden, Claire Luxton, Georgia Grey, Carly Jean Andrews, Ivan Alifan, Dave Pollot, Kendra Dandy, Damon Lucas, Bradley Theodore, Julia Rich, Ashley Longshore. The event is open to the public and will transform the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel into a hub for fashion and art.
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