Irina Kotova (, ; born November 17, 1976, in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

) is a Belarusian-French painter and graphic artist.

Biography

Irina Kotova was born in Minsk (

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

), November 17, 1976. She studied in Belarusian State Academy of Arts from 1996 to 2002, got a Diploma of Graphic Art Department. She entered St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 2003, got a Diploma of Theology

Licence A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

in 2007. She studied in the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE) in Paris from 2007 to 2009, got a Diploma in the History of Art, Master. Kotova is a participant in international and republican exhibitions. Her works are kept in the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Embassy in Paris, and various private collections across Belarus, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, and the USA.

Exhibitions

Personal exhibitions

* 2005 with the support of the

Orthodox Church in America The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America. The OCA consists of more than 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In ...

(OCA), Charleston (South Carolina), U.S.A. * 2006 Belarusian Embassy in France, Paris * 2010-2011 National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk * 2011 Belarusian State Academy of Arts, Minsk * 2012 Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Paris * 2013-2014: Orthodoxie.com gallery in Paris, "From the Incarnation to the Resurrection". * 2018 Belarusian Embassy in France, Paris * 2018 Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Belarus in France, Biarritz

Duo exhibition

*2013-2014: Russkiy Mir gallery in Paris, "The Wings of Christmas".

Group exhibitions

* 1995/1996 two International Exhibitions, organized by the Canadian Relief Fund for Chernobyl Victims in Belarus (CRFCVB), la Maison du Citoyen, Hull, Canada * 2003 International Exhibition «Alberobello Arte editione 2003»,

Alberobello Alberobello (; literally "beautiful tree"; Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a small town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It has 10,237 inhabitants (2022) and is famous for its unique ''trullo'' buildings. The ...

, Italy * 2003 3rd International Exhibition of Arts, Sartrouville, France * 2004 4th International Exhibition of Arts, Sartrouville, France * 2006 5th International Exhibition of Arts, Sartrouville, France * 2006 Belarusian Embassy in Paris, France * 2009 International Exhibition at the art gallery of the Palace of Republic in Minsk, Belarus * 2011 Exhibition “Le retour au romantisme” (“Return to Romanticism”) at The National Library of Belarus, Minsk, * 2013 International Exhibition “Welcome to Central and Eastern Europe. Beyond the cliché” at D.E.V.E. Gallery in

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

, Belgium * 2018 Exhibition of professors of art workshops in the city of Croissy-sur-Seine, France * 2018 Exhibition of artists from the Belarusian diaspora at the Belarusian embassy in France, Paris. * 2019 Exhibition of professors of art workshops in the city of Croissy-sur-Seine, France

Open Days Artists Workshops

* 2016 Open Days Artists Workshops, Croissy-sur-Seine, France * 2017 Open Days Artists Workshops, Croissy-sur-Seine, France * 2018 Open Days Artists Workshops, Croissy-sur-Seine, France * 2019 Open Days Artists Workshops, Croissy-sur-Seine, France

Book illustrations

Irina Kotova illustrated a new English version of the book ''The Conversation of St Seraphim of Sarov with N.A. Motovilov'', published in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 2010.

Presentations, reportings, documentary

* In 2009, Irina Kotova’s creative work was presented by a French writer and publicist Christophe Levalois in his report at National Art History Institute in Paris. * In 2010 « TV-First » Channel of Belteleradiocompany prepared a special newscast reporting from the opening of Irina Kotova’s exhibition at National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. * In 2010, Belteleradiocompany released a documentary ''Imaginary Paris'' (director Sergej Katier). The film was awarded the prize of the Mayor of Obninsk at the 7th International Sretenskij Orthodox Film Festival, which was held from 17 to 22 February 2012 in four towns of

Kaluga Kaluga (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia. It stands on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Its population was 337,058 at the 2021 census. Kaluga's most famous residen ...

region (

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Edition

* In 2010, Irina Kotova’s painting album ''Imaginary Paris'' (, , ) translated in three languages (French, Belarusian and Russian) was prepared and published in common with a French writer Christophe Levalois and with the assistance of Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Belarus, Belarusian Embassy in Paris, France, Embassy of France in Belarus and the Belarusian Union of Artists
Minsk, 2010
().

References

External links

*

published in the '' Narodnaja Volya'', January 11, 2011
The interview
published in the ''Belarus Segodnya'', January 12, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kotova, Irina Artists from Minsk 1976 births Living people Belarusian women artists 20th-century Belarusian artists 21st-century Belarusian artists 20th-century Belarusian painters 21st-century Belarusian painters 20th-century women artists 21st-century women artists Belarusian State Academy of Arts alumni