Anatoly Slepyshev was born in Lopatino village, Penza region. He saved the memories of peaceful countryside views that he was surrounded by in his early childhood for a whole life. After his arrested father’s returning in 1945 the family moved to Ural. Anatoly saw a sooty city, a range of one-storied barracks full of people, bugs and cockroaches, fights here and there after those pleasant county views. Later such scenes would appear in Slepyshev’s works from time to time.
After graduating school Slepyshev entered an art college in Nizhny Tagil. He studied in a group of students who came from disembodied for formalism college. After army the beginner artist passed the exams to Art Institute named after V. Surikov. When Alexander Deineka came to the institute Slepyshev entered in his workshop.
During the summer practice he went to Novgorod where middle-aged frescos of Theophane Greek made a great impression on him. After that trip Slepyshev got deeply into monumental painting.
After the Khrushchev’s rout in Manege old rules began to recover in the institute. Hateful Deineka was fired and his students were forbidden to defend their final year projects. At the same time the relation to Slepyshev changed — his works were suffering from a steam of slam and he himself from niggles on the social and political exams.
After graduating from the institute Slepyshev got acquainted with A. Fonvizin, B. Chernishov and M. Nikonov. He liked Nikonov’s creativity the best. At that period of time Slepyshev was working in Moscow schools as an art teacher and also as a decorator in the State Library named after V. Lenin and in Kremlin restoration workshops. It was, by the way, the place where he made his first solo exhibition. He also followed the orders for VDNKh pavilions. He became a world famous artist through taking part in abroad exhibitions.
When Slepyshev finally got his own workshop in an ex-warehouse space in the GUM building on Kuibyshev Street, the most productive period of his work began.
From 1968 he had always been working in the field of easel graphic.
The final influence on his works at that period of time made Alexander Drevin’s works of 1920-1930s yeras, he saw them in Moscow private collections and on his posthumous solo exhibition in Moscow in 1979. In 1977 Slepyshev’s solo exhibition happened in the flat of art historian Leonid Bazhanov.
By the end of the 1970s he moved from thick and heavy to light and energetic works. By the beginning of the 1980s works with some watercolour appeared. Finally he went away from pen and ink figures to mixed watercolour, gouache and pencil technique. At the end of the 80s biblical and city themes arose. In 1989 Slepyshev went to Germany and then to Austria and France, where he spend several years from 1990 to 1996.
Solo exhibitions
1967 Exhibition of watercolours by Anatoly Slepyshev. Central House of Artist, Moscow
1970 Anatoly Slepyshev. Drawing. Central House of architect, Moscow
1971 Anatoly Slepyshev. Print workshop, Moscow
1976 Exhibition in the flat of art historian Leonid Bazhanov, Moscow
1981 Anatoly Slepyshev. Painting. House of scientists of the Scientific Center of the USSR Academy, Troitsk
1982–1983 Ausstelung Anatoli Slepyschev, Nicolai Grizjuk. Kleine Galerie Hoger Sweda, Berlin, Germany
1983 Anatoly Slepyshev. Puskin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
1984 Anatoly Slepyshev. Historical-Architectural and Art Museum of the New Jerusalem, Istra
1987 Anatoly Slepyshev. Exhibition of one picture. Dramatic theatre named after M. Ermolova, Moscow
Anatoly Slepyshev. Drawing. Central House of Artist, Moscow
1989 Anatoly Slepyshev. Painting. AZLK Palace, Moscow
Anatoly Slepyshev. MARS Gallery, Moscow
Anatoly Slepyshev. Drawing. Moscow Gallery, Moscow
Anatoly Slepyshev. Painting. Vadim Sidur Museum, Moscow
1990 Anatoli Slepyshev. L’exposition. Club Chabin international, Paris, France
Anatoli Slepyshev. Galerie de Chaulnes, Paris, France
1990–1991 Anatoli Slepychev. Galerie de Chaulnes, Paris, France
1991 A. Slepyshev. Galerie des Planches. Paris, France
1992 Anatoli Slepyshev. Galerie la France. Paris, France
1993–1994 Uexposition des tableaux du celebre peintre russe Anatoli Slepychev. Representation Commerciale de la Federation de Russie en France. Paris, France
1994 Anatoly and Anastasiya Slepyshev. Painting. Drawing. Sculpture. Museum and Exhibition Center Istoki, Moscow
1995 Oeuvres d’Anatoli Slepychev. Moulin Ardousin. France
Exposition du peintre Anatoli Slepychev. 60 neufs tableux. The National Assembly of France, Paris
1996 Exposition du celebre peintre russe Anatoli Slepychev. Lion, France
Anatoli Slepychev a Marseille. The exhibition in the walls of the company Marseille International Fair, France
Anatoly Slepyshev’s drawings. Representation Commerciale de la Federation de Russie en France. Paris, France
Anatoly Slepyshev. Union Gallery, Moscow
1997 Anatoly Slepyshev. Painting, drawing. Historical-Architectural and Art Museum of the New Jerusalem, Istra, Russia