I was born on the border of eras, and grew up at the sunset
of the Soviet Union. In an environment where disappearance became part of everyday life. The closure of the only enterprise in my settlement led to gradual desolation: people left, spaces lost their function. Life was replaced by silence. This rhythm
of existence and disappearance forms the foundation of my artistic language.

From contemplative melancholy to a reflection on a neofuturistic and technological future, I work with space as a carrier of memory and traces of human presence. And silence emerges as the main protagonist.

In the series “Phantoms of Empire,” “Falling Skies,” and “Portals,” I analyze what remains after humanity: from architectural ruins to digital noise. In the “Portals” project, I turn to contemporaneity
as an overloaded, fragmented environment. Digital noise, color intensity, and an excess of information shape a new form of silence—one devoid of structure and stability.

Oleg Agafonov was born in the mining settlement of Tsentralny in Tula State. He studied in the workshop of Regina Petrovna Solovyova, where he also mastered academic drawing and attended workshops on experimental techniques of graphics, painting and ceramics. In 2010, he graduated from Tula State University with a degree in Graphic Design, which influenced his project-based approach to series. The transition from academic school to abstract art was facilitated by participation in the group exhibition «Donkey ArtPrize» (Italy) and the online project «Project30» (USA). The artist uses mixed techniques depending on the project and idea, with an emphasis on dry, oil pastel and acrylic. The artist's works are regularly exhibited, participate in competitions and are held in private collections in Russia and Europe. Oleg lives and works in Tula. For the last year, he has been curating a catalog of Tula artists and a pop-up gallery focusing on local authors. Recent significant works include the series «Falling Skies» and «The Portals».