Alexei Biryukoff explains his choice of subject in this way: ‘Naked male flesh in general is often underrepresented in art and in our modern culture overall, where even old masterpieces with male nudity get censored. Somebody described my work as non-glamorous, meaning that my subjects are not Greek gods from a magazine cover.  But people are beautiful just the way they are, and all body types should be celebrated and not shamed for not meeting the unrealistic standards forced by corporate advertising. I like the use of extreme perspectives, taking an average man next door and treating their body as a piece of architecture or a monument, towering above the viewer, telling their unique story with the marks, scars, wrinkles, and spare tyre that are the landmarks of their life journey.’

Just as the detailed artistic study of any aspect of nature can be fascinating, the viewer’s response to Biryukoff’s paintings says as much about them as about the artist and his choice of focus.