Personal history
Oleg Lobykin is a stone carver and sculptor...
He has over 25 years' experience as a stone carver and sculptor. Originally from St. Petersburg,
one of Russia's most beautiful cities, he has been trained and worked internationally throughout his career.
His area of focus has primarily been on cathedral, architectural, and custom stone works.
Oleg lived and worked in New York City for almost six years.
During that time he worked extensively on the impressive Cathedral Church St. John the Divine,
which has been under construction over 100 years and is the largest cathedral in the United States.
Oleg received honorary citizenship from the state of Alabama for his contribution to creating
"The Alabama Column", a 23-foot column carved directly into the side of
a mountain at the entrance of a limestone quarry. He and another master stone carver oversaw
the 4-month project and trained local stone carvers in the process.
Since 2000, Oleg has completed projects for a variety of diverse clients including
Macy's Department Store in San Francisco and Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
He has been commissioned to create original works that served as a memorial plaque to fallen firefighters in New York City after September 11th, a Spirit of Independence film award presented to George Clooney, and a sculpture playground in La Brea, California. In addition, Oleg has created original sculptures that are currently on display in several art galleries
in the Bay Area. Please contact us
if you'd like to meet the artist or learn about his work in greater detail.
Artist's Statement
The sculptures I create are born from limestone, granite,
marble, sandstone, beach stones, or onyx. They may range in size from the
handheld to the massive and most would be equally comfortable indoors or
outside.
Although I work primarily with stone, I
like to experiment with different media to explore new
possibilities. I completed several projects using EPS foam
with internal steel reinforcements and a concrete “skin” of
variable textures and pigments, material which results in a
final piece that resembles stone visually yet weighs
considerably less. A few of my designs have been rendered
in bronze, while others contain elements of both metal and
stone.
Most of my work is characterized by an
aesthetic of minimalism. I like designs that are simple,
elegant, and functional. I often use traditional or classic
forms and give them a modern twist or interpretation.
I am proud to offer a perspective that has grown out of my professional experience
and, before that, my training in an old-world craft in a
city known internationally for its compelling integration of
artwork into architecture and public space. I am a native
of St. Petersburg, Russia, and learned my trade from one of
Russia’s best art schools. I get great
satisfaction from working with my hands, which allows me to
fully experience life and allow it to be on its own terms
while still exerting my own influence. As a sculptor, I am
able to see a tangible result of my effort to make something
that is concrete and real. Art is a sensual experience of
appreciating shape, form, and texture, and I incorporate all
of these elements into my work. Finally, I bring a
diversity of perspective and experience interacting with
various points of view that has arisen out of my own unique
background and experience working in many places and with
people from many different cities, states, and countries.
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