Art critic Vitaly Tretyakov about the artist Dmitry Kustanovich

"Dmitry Kustanovich was born on March 29, 1970 in Minsk. He’s been engaged in painting since 1990. The first personal exhibition took place in Minsk the year he graduated from the university. Since then almost every year one or even two of his personal exhibitions are opened for art lovers of Minsk, Lisbon, Vilnius, German towns of Diepholz, Vechta and Lemförde, and, during the last 2 years, for St.Petersburg dwellers as well… However, most of all Dmitry loves noisy biennale - art fairs. He keeps on saying: “It’s during the fair that miracles happen”. Appearance of Kustanovich in St.Petersburg was a miracle of the 4th Art Fair-2006. He at once became both a winner of the audience attention and a prominent figure for Petersburg gallery keepers. And just two month after the closure of the art fair his personal exhibition was held at the Mikhaylov Gallery, and nowadays there’s a permanent exposition of Kustanovich works at Perinnyje Ryady, the center of St.Petersburg. It’s not easy to comprehend a miracle, but the “Kustanovich case” seems quite easy. Firstly, he’s got some drive. It’s a drive of a sparkling carnival that is both a glamorous fest of the chosen and a mass masquerade of the paper masks. Carnivalism of Kustanovich is like that of Rabelais and Shakespeare – it doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. Secondly, Dmitry Kustanovich is a workaholic, and talent is something that needs to be dug out day after day. Thirdly, it’s obvious that his art technique is uniqely original in its creative depth. Having had a look at his paintings one wouldn’t be able to finish the phrase: “Kustanovich paints like...”, but on a rainy day or a frosty morning one would want to say: “Just like on a painting by Kustanovich…”.

Vitaly Tretyakov