Biography:
Vladimir Dikarev was born in 1949 in Berdyansk, Ukraine. From early childhood he was immersed in the process of depicting the world around him. When he was 10 years old, he entered Art School in Berdyansk where he studied drawing, painting, sculpture, composition, and art history for four years. After completing Art School at the age 14, Vladimir moved to one of the most beautiful cities in western Ukraine, Uzhgorod, where he entered the Uzhgorod College of Fine Arts.
The atmosphere in Uzhgorod was more liberal than elsewhere in Ukraine, because the city was closer to the West, and the traditions of the free world had not been completely destroyed by Soviet power. Here, Vladimir was exposed to the underground ideas of western and eastern philosophy. He belonged to the group of progressive youth who shared views and interests alternative to those of the mainstream Soviet culture. He studied Eastern philosophy, poetry, and religion, and that was reflected in his works.
In 1968 he received his college diploma in monumental arts with highest honors from Uzhgorod College of Fine Arts. At age 20, Dikarev began to work as the monumental artist producing work commissioned by the state—murals, stain glasses, mosaics, and steles. At the same time, Vladimir was secretly creating his surrealistic drawings and paintings. Legal creation and exhibition of those pieces was not possible because of state censorship. Nevertheless, Vladimir continued to paint and draw expressing his views in his own style.
With the arrival of Perestroika, the artistic world in Ukraine changed dramatically, and it was finally legal to exhibit Dikarev's private works. From 1988 on, Vladimir Dikarev has actively been exhibiting his works in Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and throughout Europe. He has also worked as an illustrator of children's books and movies.
Vladimir Dikarev was born in 1949 in Berdyansk, Ukraine. From early childhood he was immersed in the process of depicting the world around him. When he was 10 years old, he entered Art School in Berdyansk where he studied drawing, painting, sculpture, composition, and art history for four years. After completing Art School at the age 14, Vladimir moved to one of the most beautiful cities in western Ukraine, Uzhgorod, where he entered the Uzhgorod College of Fine Arts.
The atmosphere in Uzhgorod was more liberal than elsewhere in Ukraine, because the city was closer to the West, and the traditions of the free world had not been completely destroyed by Soviet power. Here, Vladimir was exposed to the underground ideas of western and eastern philosophy. He belonged to the group of progressive youth who shared views and interests alternative to those of the mainstream Soviet culture. He studied Eastern philosophy, poetry, and religion, and that was reflected in his works.
In 1968 he received his college diploma in monumental arts with highest honors from Uzhgorod College of Fine Arts. At age 20, Dikarev began to work as the monumental artist producing work commissioned by the state—murals, stain glasses, mosaics, and steles. At the same time, Vladimir was secretly creating his surrealistic drawings and paintings. Legal creation and exhibition of those pieces was not possible because of state censorship. Nevertheless, Vladimir continued to paint and draw expressing his views in his own style.
With the arrival of Perestroika, the artistic world in Ukraine changed dramatically, and it was finally legal to exhibit Dikarev's private works. From 1988 on, Vladimir Dikarev has actively been exhibiting his works in Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and throughout Europe. He has also worked as an illustrator of children's books and movies.