"Tarot Decks" series. "Hanged Man", from the Deck of "Realist Painting"

What influences Mr. Mayophis is multinational, multicultural, and even probably hereditary. He was born into a family of artists and architects, and grew up in St. Petersburg. Armed with traditional academic training and the example of his artistic parents, Mayofis further developed his talents in the vibrant artistic environment of Los Angeles.

Drawing inspiration from the Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov and the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte, the artist plays with ideas borrowed from politics and pop culture. The sources that inspire and influence him are as diverse as the means in his artistic arsenal: painting, collage, drawing, photography. Maiofis is an excellent craftsman who has mastered laborious photographic processes, including Bromoil and Van Dyck, which give prints the look and feel of old masters.

Masterfully mastering various techniques, he has the opportunity to combine photography, painting and graphics in his work in a completely original manner.

Text: Karen Sinsheimer