Cultural Centre "Mir"

Making the world a more beautiful place
by staying true to your vocation

At the very beginning of October, the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir" hosted the grand opening of the exhibition of original compositions of wood art by the artist and cabinetmaker S.G.Fomin "Other facets". It features more than seventy unique pieces made from different types of wood. The compositions of wood art are distinguished by their inimitable style and detail.

Sergey G.Fomin was born in 1957 in Vladivostok. In the 1970s, he moved with his parents to the Moscow Region, to the village of Zaprudnya. After having graduated from high school, he went to serve in the Soviet Army and after demobilization, he got a job in the art workshop of the Zaprudny Plant of Electric Lamp Devices as an artist-designer. At that time, former teacher of the Stroganov Academy Alexander Khomenko worked there. Sergey learned the profession by working together with the legendary artist. Even today, being a pensioner, he has not betrayed his calling and still creates unique compositions from wood. The author told us about some of the intricacies of creating his compositions after the opening of the exhibition.

Sergey, how did you learn the craft of cabinetmaking?

- I worked in an art studio as an artist-designer. There were ten of us there and each of us became a professional in our field. We always taught each other, someone - to carve, someone - to do chasing, someone - to engrave...

In your sphere, there is a belief that tools cannot be borrowed or passed on. A master does not borrow a tool from a master, it is a taboo. Why is that?

- In fact, there is no taboo here. It is just that each master sharpens the tool for himself. In particular, it is uncomfortable to work with someone else's tool, but if necessary, you have to.

Before the revolution in Russia, carpentry was part of the curriculum for the grand dukes. Tsar Peter was not the only one that carved. After him, up until Nicholas II, they taught not only Latin, French, fencing and horse riding, but also carpentry. And how popular is carpentry today?

- Almost every man used to know carpentry but today, it is not so relevant - another century, 3D printers and high technologies... There is no superstition, actually. And the tsars were engaged in carpentry simply to distract themselves and to calm their nerves.

With the help of your compositions, it is possible to decorate a room with natural forms in an original and unusual way, without wasting time on the template solutions of modernity. Even in our exhibition hall, one starts to perceive the world differently, forgetting about the usual urbanism. What is it like to have a skill that transforms reality?

- In my opinion, every person tries to make everything around him beautiful. Some succeed, some do not, people can judge.

Thanks to Ekaterina Bystrova for the interview.

Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Member of the Union of Theater Workers

The exhibition is open until 27 October. It is interesting for both amateurs and professionals in the field of art, design, architecture.