Muhadin Kishev is one of the leading contemporary artists in Russia. Born in 1939 in Kabardino-
Balkaria in the former Soviet Union, he graduated in Fine Arts in 1965 and spent the early years
of his artistic career working in the Monumental Arts, on projects and state assignments for
murals, mosaics and intarsia.
Kishev is artist emeritus, member of the Russian Academy of Arts and in a career of more than
50 years he has had over 40 one man shows in Russia, England and Spain, receiving many prestigious
awards, including the Gold medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. In 1994 he spent
four years at the Chisenhale Studios in London which marked a radical change in his creative
work. At present he lives and works in Spain.
Colour is the protagonist of Kishev´s art, a colour which is strong, powerful, rhythmic and
at times unexpected, with a never-ending abundance of fine subtleties, combinations, contrasts.
His unique works on canvas and on paper transcend cultural barriers and evoke deep, personal
emotions.
A wide variety of themes characterize Kishev’s art, and like the jazz musician, he improvises
around a certain theme working in series under the principle of “non-finito” - that the artistic
search is never-ending.
Kishev’s paintings are in many Museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, the
Tretyakov Gallery, the Museums of Fine Art of Kabardino-Balkaria, and Foundations and Cultural
Centres of Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. More than 300 paintings are in Private Collections
around the world, among which are the Gorbachev Foundation, the Spanish Royal Family
and the Kolodzei Collection of Russian Art in New York.
Solo exhibitions
1963 – Krasnodar State University, Krasnodar, Russia
1965 – The Kabardino-Balkarian Museum of Fine Arts, Nalchik
1982 – Jubilee exhibition celebrating 20 years of work in art and 60th anniversary of Soviet
Education, The Kabardino- Balkarian Museum of Fine Arts, Nalchik
1994 – The Central House of Artists, Moscow
1996 – Exhibition of Monoprints. MossCo Art World, London
1997 – Exhibition “From London to Moscow”. Central House of Artists, Moscow
1997 – Charity Exhibition “ArtAid” – in aid of the children of the Caucasus. London
1997 – Exhibition of Monoprints. MossCo Art World, London
1998 – Recent work. Canon Exhibition Hall, Moscow
1998 – Exhibition of Monoprints. MossCo Art World, London
1999 – Exhibition “Meditations”. Vejer, Spain
2000 – Jubilee exhibition to celebrate 60th birthday and 40 years of work in art. The National
Museum, Nalchik, the Central House of Artists and the Moscow House of Nationalities,
Moscow
2001 – “From the Caucasus to Andalusia” - three simultaneous exhibitions sponsored by The
University of Cadiz, the Foundation of Culture and the Benot Gallery, Cadiz, Spain
2001 – “Andalusia in the eyes of Muhadin Kishev”. Instituto Cervantes, London
2001 – “The Beauty of Life”. Hotel Cosmos, Moscow
2002 – “Muhadin Kishev in Andalucía”. Jerez, Spain
2003 – “The Circle, triangle, square and point in abstract art”. El Ateneo, Madrid
2003 – “Nostalgia for Nature”. Marbella, Spain
2004 – “Nostalgia for Nature”. Benalmadena, Spain
2004 – “Nostalgia for Nature”. Museum of Wild Life, Leon, Spain
2004 – “The blood-stained windows of Beslan”. University of Cadiz, Spain
2005 – “Nostalgia for Nature”. Caja Rural del Sur, Huelva, Spain
2005 – “Nostalgia for Nature”. Galería Nim, Madrid
2005 – “Spaces”. Sala Joan Miró, Palace of Congresses, Madrid
2005 – “Window on Europe”. Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow
2006 – “Window on Europe”. The National Museum, Nalchik
2006 – “The Beginning of the Way”. ( Kishev collection of the Soviet Period)
The Kabardino-Balkarian Museum of Fine Arts, Nalchik
2007 – “Around the Circle”. Malaga University, Spain
2007 – “The Rhythm of Colour”. Vincent Gallery, Moscow
2008 – “The Power of Colour”. The Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
2008 – “The Power of Colour”, Cultural Centre “Sala Aires de Cordoba”, Cordoba, Spain
2009 – “A Hymn to Beauty”. Jubilee exhibition to celebrate 70th birthday and 50 years of work
in art. The National Museum, Nalchik
2010 – “A Hymn to Beauty”. Jubilee exhibition to celebrate 70th birthday and 50 years of work
in art. Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow, Russia
“A Hymn to Beauty”. Jubilee exhibition to celebrate 70th birthday and 50 years of work
in art. State Museum of th Peoples of Orient, Maikop, Adygeya
“A Hymn to Beauty”. Russian Centre for Culture, Pushkin House, London
“A Hymn to Beauty”. Centre for Culture, Talyatin. Russia
2012 – “A Hymn to Beauty”. Parshin Gallery, Stavropol, Russia
“A Hymn to Beauty”, New Work. State Museum of the Peoples of Orient, Maikop,
Adygeya
“A Hymn to Beauty”. Exhibition Hall, Pescaderia Vieja, Jerez, Cadiz, Spain
“A Hymn to Beauty” Vincent Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
2013 – “A Hymn to Beauty” Russian Centre for Science and Culture, Madrid, Spain
Awards
1963 – First Class Diploma for Excellence, Krasnodar State University
1964 – First Class Diploma from the Ministry of Culture, Kabardino-Balkaria
1970 – Medal for “Valiant Labour” on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lenin.
1982 – The Laureate prize of Lenin Comsomol, Kabardino-Balkaria
2000 – Order of Knight of Honour, for his contribution to Russian Contemporary Art and his
charity work, Moscow
2000 – Artist Emeritus of Kabardino-Balkaria
2001 – Academician & Comendador de las Palmas Académicas of the International Academy of
Science, Technology & Humanities Valencia, Spain
2001 – Received the Order of Malta. Zaragoza, Spain
2001 – Honorary member of the Circassian International Academy of Sciences, AMAN-KBR
2001 – Member of the European Academy of Arts, Belgium
2002 – Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow
2002 – Comendador de las Palmas Académicas con Placa de Mérito of the International
Academy of Science, Technology & Humanities. Valencia, Spain
2003 – Gold medal (vermeil) European Academy of Arts. Spain
2004 – National Gold Medal, European Academy of Arts, Belgium
2004 – National Gold Medal, European Academy of Arts, Paris
2007 – Jubilee Gold Medal “450 years with Russia”, Kabardino-Balkaria
2008 – Full member of the Circassian International Academy of Sciences, AMAN-KBR
2008 – Honorary member of the Union of Artists of Jordan
2008 – Gold Medal “300th Anniversary of the victory over the Crimean Tartars” for his painting
“The Battle of Kanzhal”. KBR
2008 – Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, for his exhibition “The Power of Colour”,
the Moscow Museum of Modern Art
2009 – Full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow
2010 – The “Shuvalov” Gold Medal from the Russian Academy of Arts, for his exhibition
“A Hymn to Beautyr” at the Russian Academy of Arts in Moscow
2013 – Artist Emeritus of the Russian Federation
Museums & private collections
- Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow
- Moscow Museum of Modern Art
- Foundation of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Moscow
- Art Fund of the Russian Federation, Moscow
- Gorbachev Art Foundation, Moscow
- Manezh Art Foundation, Moscow (paintings burnt in the fire of 2004)
- The Kabardino-Balkarian Museum of Fine Arts, Nalchik
- The Krasnodar Museum of Fine Art ‘F.A. Kovalenko’. Krasnodar, Russia
- Museum of Art, Tobolsk, Siberia
- Adygeisky Exhibition Hall, Maikop, Adygeya
- The Dagestan Museum of Fine Art ‘P.S.Gamzatova’, Mahachkala
- The State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Ingushetia, Narzan
- Collection of the Cervantes Institute, London
- The Spanish Royal Family
- Collection of the “Ateneo”, Madrid
- Collection of the University of Cadiz
- Collection of the University of Malaga
- Delegation of Culture, Cadiz
- Delegation of Culture, Jerez
- Mateo Berrueta Art Collection “Gentes de Forastia”, Artists of the World, Spain
- The Royal Family of Jordan
- Kolodzei Collection of Russian and Eastern European Art, Kolodzei Art Foundation, USA
Over 300 paintings in private collections in Russia, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Iceland,
Poland, Finland, France, the United States, Latin America, Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand,
Africa, the former Republics of the USSR and other countries of the world.