Yaroslav “Slava” Kurbanov

Russian–German • Born 1968

Yaroslav “Slava” Khairullavich Kurbanov was born on March 26, 1968, in Makhachkala, Dagestan, in the Caucasus region of Russia. Raised in a family of accomplished artists, Khairullah Magomedovich Kurbanov and Galina Vasilevna Pshenitsina, he showed artistic promise at an early age and was admitted to the Children’s Art School on that basis. He went on to study at the Secondary School of Art in Makhachkala from 1983 to 1987 before entering the prestigious Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in St. Petersburg. Kurbanov completed his formal training there in easel painting in the early 1990s, earning a rigorous academic foundation rooted in the Russian classical tradition. His skill attracted early recognition, including a scholarship from German patrons impressed by his work.

Kurbanov’s paintings blend classical realism with romantic and symbolic elements, drawing on techniques of the old masters while exploring universal themes. His work often reflects on questions of identity, love, loyalty, betrayal, and the inner emotional world, expressed through contemplative figures, frequently serene female subjects, set within timeless, dreamlike environments. Soft lighting, earth-toned palettes, and carefully rendered textures contribute to the meditative quality of his compositions.

Since the 1990s, Kurbanov has exhibited internationally, with shows in Russia, Germany, the United States, China, and other countries. His paintings are highly sought after by collectors of contemporary realist and figurative art. Among his early recognitions is the 1997 “My Russia… My World” competition in Moscow, where he received notable acclaim.

Today, Yaroslav “Slava” Kurbanov lives and works in Leipzig, Germany, continuing to develop his symbolic realist style and maintaining an active exhibition presence in Europe and abroad.