Theater - National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus

Andrey Ostashov is one of the most demanded Belarusian sculptors.

The images of childhood are the brightest, interesting and original theme in his art. These images are built in a complex way. Ostashov builds his world like an architect designs a house. His art is stepped outlines, a fanciful play of volumes and a combination of smooth surfaces with textured ones, as if ‘broken up’ with a cutter. Childishness, innocence and diminutiveness are specific for images as such and literally for the size of the works. When a sculptor works with the material, his skills are evident in miniature pieces of art. The sculpture ‘Theater’ displayed at the museum’s exhibition has perfect proportions, lightness and picturesque plastic forms.

The art of Andrey Ostashov assigns the role of an active co-author to the viewer, who selects the keys to interpreting his works. The artist’s works are impressive and intriguing. They want to unravel them, to identify their subjects, characters and images. The geography of the artist’s images is wide. Ostashov is interested in Europe, Asia and America, in mythological and even fantastic worlds. All this is fancily combined in one fragile image of a little girl or in an almost abstract figure ‘Theater’. It is not difficult to notice the style and themes of Mannerism, Rococo and Art Deco, and the sculptor’s unconditional love for Orientalism – images of Eastern culture.