I first wrote about the art of Kirjat Umarov back in April 2024, when he was exhibiting at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (see: Abstract Event Horizons at Nitroglobus in Second Life). At the time I was struck by the symbology and depth of themes and ideas within Kirjat’s abstract art presented within that exhibition.
A new exhibition of Kirjat’s work opened at the start of June 2025 and Carelyna’s ArtCare Gallery. Entitled Metaphysical Landscapes, it focuses leans more towards abstract surrealism, while again mixing themes and ideas.
Ever since I first saw a painting by Giorgio de Chirico in an art school textbook, I’ve been fascinated by surrealism in the visual arts. I had come to feel and understand this form of expression more and more through the “metaphysical landscapes” of [Yves] Tanguy, [Salvador] Dali, [Rene] Magritte, and of course Max Ernst & Joan Miró as well as Russian and German protagonists of this genre.
– Kirjat Umarov
In contemplating and studying the works of these artists, Kirjat found them both a form of escape from the everyday and also a means of understanding them as expressing a form of truth about life: all that we experience in daily life – all that we see, the worries, the emotional ups and downs, our fears, our concerns – is merely a superficial illusion of what life is about. Underlying it, just waiting for us to open our eyes and see it, is a form of the world and existence in which everything flows together, and everything makes sense.
As a result of this realisation, and as Kirjat goes on to note:
Last year I noticed that for some time I’ve been painting non-representational, abstract pictures while also repeatedly devoting myself to classical landscape depictions … which is why I began trying to combine the two, sometimes adding geometric elements and composing everything in such a way that metaphysical landscapes and forms can be discovered in them.
– Kirjat Umarov
So it is, across four rooms, we’re presented with a rich mix of imagery encompassing the idea of what we see before us is more illusory than we might think, that there is a more substantial truth waiting for us to find. The Landing Point places you at the intersection of these four rooms, alongside a post offering an introduction to the exhibition, and a catalogue providing information on the six images presented within each room – and I highly recommend you read both.
All of the pieces carry a richness of idea – hinted at through their names – and I found myself particularly drawn to Cloudy Mountain View, Black Hole Sun, Lover’s Pier and There’s Always a New Day Behind the Corner. All of these pieces have a beautiful sense of minimalism about them, together with an abstracted use of geometry which makes them instantly attractive and brings there messages to the fore in the most gentle of manners. Whish is not to diminish the others in the collection: all have something to say to the open eye and mind.
A fascinating and engaging exhibition.
SLurl Details
- Metaphysical Landscapes, ArtCare Gallery (Emotion, rated: Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 