Pavel Kuragin (Russian, b. 1983) is a self-taught painter based in Moscow who works on unconventional surfaces — pages torn from books, magazine sheets, craft paper and handmade paper — using watercolor, oil pastel, acrylic, ink and pencil. His conceptual, densely detailed paintings read like fairy tales, populating anthropomorphic humans and animals — hares, cats, bears and fish — in scenes built around a vibrant, harmonious palette.
Many of his figures have multiple eyes, mouths or noses, and animals often appear sheltering behind, perched on, or flying and swimming alongside a human figure who acts as their protector. Each painting is conceived as a self-contained story, with hidden narratives embedded in the objects and characters that make up the composition.
