Arsen Kurbanov was born in Makhachkala in the republic of Dagestan, and his mother and father were artists. In 1988 he completed his education at the Jamal Dagestan Art College, recieving a red diploma of scholastic excellence. He was immediately accepted into the prestigious Repin Institute of the St. Petersburg Academy of Art and graduated in 1994.
He combines the techniques of the Old Masters with a contemporary sense of imagery, introducing mystery through biblical and historical references. His portraits are precise and almost photographic likenesses, but they are also created as compositions in their own right. He has been on the teaching staff of the easel painting department at the Repin Institute since 2008.
“While Kurbanov’s portraits represent precise, almost photographic likenesses of his sitters, they are also created as compositions in their own right.”
He has exhibited in the USA, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, China, and Russia, including a personal exposition in Oslo and a museum exposition in the Netherlands. He has participated in many group and personal exhibitions since 1992. He continues to paint and teach in St. Petersburg.