A “Dedication to my Almaty” exhibition of V.I. Shorokhov was opened at the Museum of Almaty on the eve of the City Day
Pavel Ivanovich Shorokhov is well-known to the wide public as a master of urban sculpture.
Pavel Ivanovich Shorokhov was born in 1946 in Latvia. At the age of 11, he moved to Kazakhstan. Graduated from the Almaty Art School named after A. N.V. Gogol. He began to study sculpture in the mid-70s. He creates his first works in wood, which sometimes, thanks to its natural plasticity, prompted the artist compositional solutions such as “Portrait of a Mother”, “Skomorokh”, “Kruchina”, “Solveig”. In the future, the sculptor realizes his creative ideas in wood, chamotte, ceramics, copper, bronze, aluminum, granite, marble, gabbro, which serve as instruments of his plastic eloquence.
Several generations of residents of our city have literally grown up on the sculptor’s works. One of the most remarkable sculptural compositions by Pavel Shorokhov “Storks” was installed in the Soviet years near the “Malysh” store on Lenin Avenue in Almaty (now Dostyk Avenue). In the center of its plot are two winged birds bringing a baby. This piece created a joyful atmosphere in the children’s store. Pavel Shorokhov is called the Father of Apples because the master created the image of the main symbol of our city.
In 1978, the first park work by P. Shorokhov – “Childhood”, appeared in Alma-Ata. Park sculpture will later become the main theme of his work. In 1980, the first monumental monument to S. Sharipov was erected.
His works are, first of all, the embodiment in the material of a personality with a pronounced individuality. Relief and easel portraits, monumental busts, tombstones, portrait memorial plaques depict prominent scientists, writers, academicians, composers, military and political figures, in which the sculptor guesses the character traits of his heroes with the subtlety of a psychologist. Among the depicted are M. Gabdullin, A. Syzganov, G. Ormanov, G. Mustafin, E. Kruchinsky, Y. Rudkovsky, I. Esenberlin, K. Satpayev, M. Aueyzov, J. Dzhambul, D. Kunayev, G. Musrepov and others.
The works of Pavel Shorokhov are kept in the funds of many museums around the world, are in private collections in Kazakhstan, Russia. France, Germany, Italy, Austria. The geography of Pavel Shorokhov’s creative heritage is quite extensive – Almaty and Nur-Sultan, Arkalyk and Balkhash, Talgar and Pavlodar, Aktau, near and far abroad.
Reflecting beauty, the sculptor shapes our consciousness, our taste, and our idea of beauty. His works carry a tremendous charge of positive energy. He carefully examines the environment, trying to find hidden beauty, and then recreates it in his sculptures.