Husband and Wife Team, Romantic Impressionists
It all started in the little town of Lugansk in Ukraine, 1969. An
early starter, Mr. Garmash began painting at the age of three. By age
six he started his formal education at the Lugansk Youth Creative
Center. Recognizing rare, natural talent, his teachers sent his works
to a variety of exhibitions in the then Soviet Union.
An award winning artist from the onset, Mr. Garmash received first
prizes at several juried exhibitions, including the Lugansk Regional
Juried Exhibition 1977 (Best Poster), the Czechoslovakian International
Youth Competition 1978, and the Hungarian International Art Competition
of Circus Related Art 1978.
After graduating, valedictorian from the Lugansk State Fine Art
College in 1987, Mr. Garmash began teaching there the following year.
From 1989 to 1991, he served in the army (when he met his wife and
partner, Inessa) and in 1992 began studying at the St. Petersburg
Academy of Art. Prior to graduating at the top of his prestigious
school's class, Mr. Garmash exhibited in France at galleries in cities
such as Paris, St. Etienne, Avignon, Lion and Marcel.
Mr. Garmash also took part in the annual Exhibitions in St.
Petersburg, Russia. In addition to painting, he has also excelled in
the creation of stained-glass windows and received an honorary medal
for his work in the Suvorov Military Museum in St. Petersburg.
Ms. Garmash, born Inessa Kitaichik in 1972 Lipetsk, Russia, has
excelled in the arts since early childhood. Proving herself in ballet,
gymnastics and music, Ms. Garmash attended classes in all three
disciplines and, after graduating from music and ballet school, entered
the Lugansk Fine Art School at age fifteen. At seventeen she was
accepted as that year's best undergraduate to the Lugansk State Fine
Art School.
Today, Mr. and Mrs. Garmash are considered two of the finest
Romantic Impressionists of our day. Their incredible talent is only
matched by their love and career stories. In similar fashion to the
determination of his artwork, Mr. Garmash courted his future wife,
after seeing her for but a moment, by painting her image all over her
hometown while she slept. She immediately recognized the passion with
which this man cared so dearly and married him shortly thereafter.
The Garmashs began their artistic collaboration in much the same
way. Several years after their marriage, Mr. Garmash began a painting
of their two-year old daughter, Polina, for a project at school.
However, Polina found the painting during her father's absence and
decided to embark upon her own artistic career. Ms. Garmash, after
seeing what her daughter had done and not wanting her husband to be
upset, fixed the painting using her own training, packed it up and gave
it to him for submission. Mr. Garmash submitted the painting for review
and was praised for completing his best work ever. He was surprised to
see the "new" painting and immediately recognized his wife's hand. They
have painted together every since.