The artist takes the viewer to a fantastical environment, combining images of modern people and mythological references in reflections on the search for inner balance, finding direction in life, care, wisdom and mutual support. The longer the viewer looks at the works, the more the sense of reality eludes. The overlapping symbols create a strange effect of a multi-layered matrix of narratives. Aske’s characters walk, ride on public transport or read books, while parallel narratives unfold in their imaginations, either explicitly or implicitly, and the world of the paintings interacts with the viewer.

Of particular significance in the exhibition is the series of ‘cards’, where the compositions can be turned upside down, emphasising the absence of a single point of view or interpretation of the works in the exhibition. A golden sphere – a symbol of the highest value that the characters strive to preserve or attain – becomes an intriguing leitmotif of the project, moving from scene to scene.

It is noteworthy that, compared to previous exhibitions, the artist has worked in more detail on the graphics and compositions. As a result the paintings have increased in size, comprising from 300 to almost 500 plywood pieces, forming multi-layered mosaic reliefs.

The exhibition is comprised more than 20 paintings, each divided into several smaller series. Dmitri worked on them for about two years, combining this work with large-scale public projects – painting the ceiling of the Yaroslavsky Station (837 sq. m.), the walls in Krasnodar Park (1,186 sq. m.), and others.

In December 2025 the Ruarts Gallery will celebrate its twenty-first anniversary. Founded in 2004 by collector Marianna Sardarova, the gallery has long represented Russian and international artists, including participants of the ‘street wave’ movement. Dmitri Aske is one of the ideologists and most prominent artists of this constellation. Aske’s last solo exhibition at the Ruarts Gallery took place in 2020, five years ago.

___________________________

One of the ideologists and most prominent participants of the Russian urban contemporary art movement. Dmitri creates studio works in his own original technique – mosaic relief made of plywood, as well as large-scale paintings, panels and sculptures in public spaces. His monumental works can be found in Moscow, Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, Tula, Mannheim in German and other cities. In 2019, Dmitri created a large mural at the terminal of the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow and took part in the group exhibition "The Russian Fairy Tale. From Vasnetsov to the Present" held in New Tretyakov Gallery. In 2020, Ruarts gallery hosted the Aske's solo exhibition "A moment before the dawn"‎. In 2021 there was another Dmitri's solo exhibition hosted by 9B gallery called "Glimpse of the Future"‎. In 2022, one work from the exhibition "Reality 2.0" (2016, Vladey Space, Moscow, Russia) was included in the collection of the Russian Museum. In 2023, he made a monumental panel "Return" (size 5 x 6.4 meters) dedicated to the theme of the revival of urban river transport in the renovated building of the Southern River Station in Moscow. Moreover, Aske is an influential researcher of graffiti and street art. In 2015, Dmitri held a large-scale series of lectures on street art which was his project within a grant program of Ruarts Foundation and the Artmosphere creative association. In 2018, as part of the lll Artmossphere biennale, Aske presented a research exhibition project "Street art in Russia from 1980s to 2010s". In 2019, Aske took on the role of one of the editors of the Encyclopedia of street art in Russia. In 2022, the edition "A Graffiti Alphabet" was released, for which Aske created the design layout of the book, and also wrote texts. Especially for the book, 33 artists, closely connected to graffiti, design a Cyrillic letter and the complete alphabet. In 2024, I completed the ceiling painting at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, covering an area of 837 square meters.