Yuri Masnyj

Drawing on the aesthetic of historical avant-garde, in particularly Russian Constructivism, Yuri Masnyj combines elements inspired by graphic design, architecture, and the art-historical past. Primarily working in drawing and sculpture, he often depicts ambiguous interior spaces filled with books, posters, and paintings, as well as commonplace objects, such as bottles and cigarettes, in a stark, linear style reminiscent of architectural renderings. Commenting on the ways that the avant-garde has filtered into the mainstream, tempering its utopian spirit, Masnyj's work alludes to the institutionalization and domestication of these once-radical forms.

Masnyj has had solo shows at Metro Pictures in New York, Sutton Lane in London, Zink Gallery in Berlin, and Travesia Cuatro in Madrid. His work has been included in notable group exhibitions such as the 2006 Whitney Biennial, and Greater New York 2005 at MoMA PS1, and International Paper at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.