Red 2009

Belarusian Artist Alex Kuznetsov, also known as Alex K. Smith, was born in 1978 in Minsk, BY, and is now an abstract artist based in Lisbon, PT. Initially drawn to painting by his mother's family ties to Vitebsk and its rich artistic history, he began his creative journey in graphic design before a 15-year-long exploration with graffiti. Under various nicknames like Liquid, Ners, Awek, Temos, and Monk, Kuznetsov and his graffiti crew, TRUE STILO, gained renown across post-Soviet territories and Europe. His early deprivation of color and art education in the Soviet Union led to an obsession with manipulating color on canvas and studying art history, primarily focusing on the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. In 2010, a visit to a Hong Kong commercial gallery exposed him to the potency of pure color, and a significant event later that year inspired him to shift his artistic focus towards Abstract Expressionism. Kuznetsov, now based in Lisbon, has transformed his art practice from the streets to the studio, moving from figuration to abstraction in a process fueled by a desire to create without boundaries. He embraces the unknown and the imperfections, believing that an artist is a conduit of creativity, similar to the philosophy of Hlima Af Klint. Spending 12 hours a day in his studio, Kuznetsov romantically describes his process as a dance between artist and materiality, with inspiration coming from music, design, and personal encounters. Though he uses the graffiti approach to explore various personas and styles in his painting practice, the common threads of composition, balance, color, and energy remain consistent. Kuznetsov's struggle to self-educate and practice art has led to a refined art career, with his work shining light past the darkness and the muted tones of personal history and an insatiable desire to create.