Local Chattanooga artist Lourans Mikhail has been selected for a month-long artist residency at Chateau Orqueveaux in France. Mr. Mikhail is a multimedia artist working in various visual disciplines: muralism, painting, sculpture and graphic design.
Rating for Louran’s Mikhail:
Lourans Mikhail focuses on drawing attention to underexposed perspectives while emphasizing issues surrounding race, violence, social inequality, sexism, culture and drugs in contemporary society. Fusing street art flair with pop surrealism, he removes the glamor from everyday life to question the reality of our belief structures.
“At first I was a little shocked when I read my acceptance letter,” said Mr. Mikhail. “It was very encouraging to read that I was chosen from hundreds of artists from several different countries around the world. It was a moment that cemented my path as a confident professional artist.”
Mr. Mikhail is a disabled Navy veteran and father of two girls. He holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and continues to expand his repertoire through a range of platforms including audio/video production and recording. His works are represented in national and international collections.
Although he has only been a professional artist for a few years, Mr. Mikhail was honored to have a solo show in San Diego at Thumbprint Gallery, one of the city’s premier galleries. He was given short notice (three weeks) to prepare 20-25 pieces and at that point he only had five pieces ready, but he prevailed and was ready to present his innovative work in record time.
“When they contacted me I only had five tracks in my series entitled ‘Different Strokes’ but I went for it,” said Mr. Mikhail. “I created everything from the idea to the final product on the first show they personally had ads during the first year of the COCVID-19 pandemic.”
Mr. Mikhail has exhibited in galleries in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago and most recently in Chattanooga. He was also featured in an interactive exhibit at the New Americans Museum in San Diego. He has also painted large-scale public murals in cities such as Memphis, San Diego, New Orleans, Anaheim, Nashville, and Chattanooga.
Mr. Mikhail is a proud resident of Chattanooga and a member of the Association of Visual Artists. Since moving to the area, he has participated in several group art exhibitions and plans to have a solo show following his residency in late 2022.
Mr. Mikhail serves as the facilities and maintenance manager for Sculpture Fields at Montague Park so he can stay connected with the area’s top sculptors and works with Chattanooga Fashion Expo as Art Director. He and his partner Shanna Forrestall of 4FC Productions have also created a new online show called Chit Chat Chattanooga that interviews and highlights local business owners, artists and influencers in the city.
“I love Chattanooga because it’s so beautiful and the surrounding nature is an amazing catalyst to inspire or reset when you’re nuts,” said Mr. Mikhail. “I enjoy collaborating with the many other local talented creatives who live here. ”
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