The Russian illustrator, artist and set designer Eugene Drabkin grew up in St Petersburg, and studied from 1987 to 1993 at the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. After graduating he worked at the Lenfilm Studio in St Petersburg as a set designer and artistic director, and at the television channel Telekanal 100TV as their head art director. In 1997 he moved to New York and worked for several years at HBO Studios; in 2001 he gained a Diploma of Artistic Director from the University of New York.

He now lives in Prague, where he works as the artistic director for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, but for several years has also been showing his original artwork in exhibitions and online. Between 1994 and 2015 he exhibited in St Petersburg, Moscow, London, New York, Turin and Milan.

Eugene writes of his art, ‘I create whimsical erotic drawings that sometimes manage to be both philosophical and filthy in equal measure. The drawings are somewhat reminiscent of children’s colouring books, as well as retro erotic photos, favouring ink graphics and watercolour paints. The figures and characters of Poems about Sluts and Sluts Strike Back are depicted in erotic encounters in various ways, settings and situations. Cheats and Cribs features imaginative ways of students cheating in classes and exams, sometimes using quite suggestive methods.’

Rather than exhibiting, Eugene now uses social media and online selling to share his work. His Facebook page is here, his Instagram account here, and his Saatchi Art page here.

We would like to thank our Russian friend Yuri for suggesting the inclusion of this artist.