The young artist Semyon Motolyanets works mainly in the genre of performance, installation and object, although his work also includes graphic, painting, video and even literary works.
Semyon was born and began his artistic education in Belarus, and then graduated from the Department of Monumental and Decorative Painting at the Stieglitz Academy of Art and Industry. He graduated from the Stieglitz Academy of Art and Industry (MUHA) and the Contemporary Art program of the PRO ARTE Foundation in St. Petersburg. Thus, he combined the academic settings of the classical post-Soviet painting education with the newest form of education in the field of contemporary art.
Semyon Motolyants's work is well known to the St. Petersburg public. Actively engaged in group exhibition projects since 2006, he is also a member of the association "PARAZIT" and one of the founders of the group "Soap", winner of the prize "Innovation 2009" in the category "New Generation".
The specificity of Semyon Motolyants's creativity demonstrates his articulate artistic position and his inconsistency with the established frameworks and formalities. One would hardly dare to call his works characteristic of today's art scene. Semyon's projects do not feature the figuratively monumental canvases that are so popular with St. Petersburg authors and graduates of MUCH. On the other hand, almost all of the works and performances are accompanied by a formulated author's annotation. The projects created as a part of the "MUCH" group definitely deserve a separate mention because they possess a form of creating a real philosophy in artistic gestures that is unique for the contemporary St. Petersburg art. And although literal adherence to a single theme becomes a trap for many artists, the "Soap" group has demonstrated an amazing talent for applying and integrating the spectrum of ideas to a single gesture.
The rapid development and deepening of the author's method suggests that despite his impressive track record, Semyon Motolyanets is still in the process of forming his artistic handwriting. His creative research is on an upward spiral. However, watching the growth of a gifted artist can be extremely satisfying for mass viewers and professionals alike.