Viktor Shvaiko

Viktor Shvaiko

Born in 1965 and raised in Barnaul, Siberia, Viktor Shvaiko knew from an early age that his life belonged to art. He trained at the Specialized School of Art in Barnaul, then served two years in the Soviet army as a military artist, painting posters, signs, and copies of classical masterpieces. Encouraged by his wife, Valentina, he left a career in graphic design to paint full time, joined the Artist's Union, and quickly found success, selling out his early exhibitions.

For Shvaiko, Italy had always been the symbol of art, and in 1991 he set out to see it for himself. With little more than his paints and a determination to succeed, he made his way through Yugoslavia and into Italy, arriving in Rome with only a few dollars. There he painted on the city's bridges and sold his watercolors on the spot. He fell in love with the windows and doors of Rome, which he saw as the spirit of the city, and they became a favorite subject. He soon gained a loyal following of collectors and served as Artist in Residence at the Rostropovich Institute.

In December 1992, choosing to challenge himself and his talent, Shvaiko came to New York. Within weeks, a SoHo gallery began selling his paintings as quickly as he could create them. His café scenes, street views, and architectural studies, full of warm light and romantic atmosphere, have since been collected widely. He became an American citizen in 2004.

Shvaiko's work reflects the path that brought him here: a painter's devotion to beauty, discovered in the streets, cafés, and doorways of the places he has called home.