I
THE ARTIST
Igor Borisov, painter and formerly a photographer specialised in children's fashion for over 30 years, has always felt the call of the Aegean Sea, the main source of his creativity.
At the age of 20, his adventurous instinct led him to discover Greece, whose myths and legends fascinated him.
Arriving by chance on the island of Kimolos, between Milos and the uninhabited Polyaigos, he was adopted by a family of fishermen and soon by all the inhabitants who soon made him "one of their own".
For almost 40 years, Igor has developed a unique relationship with this confidential island, promising himself every year to return as soon as possible.
Back in France to launch his career as a photographer, he took a "crazy" gamble and moved to Saint-Valéry, in the heart of the Baie de Somme, to start a family far away from the hustle and bustle of the Paris scene , facing the sea.
Although at the distance from the big advertising and production agencies, his talent was recognised and Igor's career took off. He was called to New York, Milan, Paris, London, and was sought after by magazines such as VOGUE Bambini and luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani and Burberry.
But even when in the four corners of the globe, it is his Kimolian haven that he thinks of.
In 2004, he left his mark on the island by photographing all the faces of all the villagers, which can be seen on the wall of the famous restaurant "To Kyma" owned by his lifelong friend Yannis. He first arrived in the Cyclades at the age of 20 with no expectations and in his mind has never left since.
II
GENESIS
In the Cyclades, Igor lives in a house overlooking the sea and the deserted island of Polyaigos.
Welcoming travelers and strangers has been sacred throughout Greece for thousands of years, so Igor, his friends and friends of friends, are always welcome. This is where he began to paint. First the terrace, then the stairs and the inner courtyard...
Never one to run out of inspiration, Igor takes out his bucket and brushes to paint the hidden pathway leading to the house. He wants to transform the alley for the children of the island who come to play there, protected from the summer wind, the Meltem.
Intrigued, the inhabitants find themselves passing by to read a few pages, to chat on the steps of the adjoining houses, and to drink ouzo.
The street, once a simple place of passage, becomes a place of expression and comes back to life, finally becoming a local attraction.
The inspiration of the fresco that now adorns it, links every Greek culturally, it is an ode to the sea and an invitation to reverie.
Invited to join Igor in Psaphi for a few days, Thierry Sadoun, a friend for over 35 years and a convinced Hellenist, crosses the sea from the island of Ios, where he spends every summer, to go to Kimolos. Throughout his career, Thierry has worked with artists (photographers, authors, directors, singers...) and his keen eye for successful concepts has become his trademark. When he arrives in the port, he walks up past the fresco lining the alley and is immediately touched by the symbolism of igor's work. He understands that Igor has a new talent and that his work has real significance: it is the birth of an artist. This additional support convinces Igor to develop his passion for painting, in order to share it with as many people as possible.
III
INSPIRATIONS
During his years in Greece, Igor has developed a deep passion for snorkelling. Underwater, another world presents itself to him. The volcanic seabed of the Aegean Sea offers a breathtaking spectacle and is incredibly rich.
These images are engraved deep in his memory, resurfacing when he decides to paint, inspired by the Cycladic arts and the characteristic white buildings of the islands, which shine in the sun. It is thus instinctively that he starts to create a fantastic and inexhaustible marine universe, which spreads through the street...
But Igor Borisov's painting does not stop there.
It is a link between ancient Greece and modern Greece, a form of allegorical and uninhibited homage that takes up residence not in museums, where the remains are exhibited as physical evidence, but in the street. That is to say, in the very place where the Greek spirit, millennium and starting point of Humanity, have survived.
This spirit of openness that pushes Greeks to question themselves, to go and meet with others in the Agora, to exchange. This way of life is rooted in Greek popular culture and has influenced the entire Mediterranean region. In igor's work the natural movement of the brush and the roundness of the line communicate simplicity, echoing the simplicity inherent in Greece, the ease of meeting as a family, of sharing a meal, of inviting at he stranger or a traveller into one's home.
This is where the heritage of the philosophers lies, and this is the link that Igor Borisov modestly seeks to create with his brushes.
A friend inspired by his painting says of his work "that it has evolved", of him, "he is very talented, poetic, touching a sense of movement, a kinetic art, a naivety".
Today, a large number of walls have absorbed Igor's colours like a transfusion that gives life to this village, but one wonders who feeds whom?
At the request of the villagers who all want an imprint of his Hellenic poetic vision.
He can spend whole days in the sun absorbed in his work.
Refusing to be paid, he replies with this magic phrase:
"I give back to the island what it has given to me".
During the days of great Meltem or overwhelming heat, the sure active artist turns in circles, he must paint, and without delay, he takes a board of recovered driftwood and locks himself in his workshop to paint.
The winters are long and always filled with this creative energy igor decided to also turn to canvases to express himself.
The artist has become complete, happy, fulfilled, he is ready to face the world and present his work to you.