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Nikita Andrejev

Nikita Andrejev is an iconographer and iconography instructor. He was born in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1974. In 1980 he emigrated to the United States with his parents. From an early age, worked as an apprentice and assistant to his father, iconographer Vladislav Andrejev, founder of the Prosopon School of Iconology (New York State, USA), learning the technique and theology of Byzantine iconography in the Russian egg tempera style, as well as the methods of instruction therein. From 1995, has in addition worked independently, painting commissions of portable icons as well as wall-paintings, and giving workshops in the practice and theory of icon painting throughout North America and in Europe. 1993–1997 studied in Yale University, USA, receiving a BA in Classics. 2001–2005 studied at the Institut Theologique Orthodoxe Saint-Serge, Paris, France. From 2005 lives in Estonia with his family.

Lecture: The incarnation of Christian theology and anthropology within colors: ascetic methods of the uncovering of the Image of God in the Byzantine icon

Wednesday, 28th of October 15.00

Byzantine iconography is governed by a flexible yet precise Church canon concerning artistic technique. This is because the Orthodox icon is not a creation of an individual artist's imagination, but an image making manifest the specific Christian truth, and the life lived according to that truth. Therefore, the dogmatic teachings of the Church become directing guidelines in iconography. The technical creative process of the iconographer is structured along the same lines as the monastic practice of Christian ascetics, who with their lives strive to attain unity with God and create the circumstances for his Image to be revealed on every plane of existence. To understand the icon, we must first go deeper than the aesthetic and sentimental. What is the Image of God and what are its reflections in the visible world? With the aid of slides of icons and frescoes, we will examine some traditional iconographic techniques and point out some spiritual principles behind them.