Trifon Markov

Trifon Markov (1991-) is a visual artist based in Portland, OR. He grew up surrounded by art: his native town of Abramtsevo, just to the north of Moscow, was once a famous creative hub whose old estates, wooden dachas, and churches nestled in soft greenery still recall the vibrant artistic scene of the nineteenth century. Coming from a strong lineage of artists and art educators, Trifon inherited an eye for beauty and the urge to create. He started his formal artistic training early in school and got a degree from the Abramtsevo Industrial Art College. Though he focused on jewelry making in college, painting remains Trifon’s favorite creative medium.

Trifon immigrated to the United States with his family in 2014 right after he graduated from art school, landing in Portland where the Markovs had relatives. He draws inspiration from the renowned beauty of the Pacific Northwest and its playful, eclectic culture. His canvases are filled with luscious evergreens in blue shadows, redwoods born in fire like the phoenix, and whimsical, free-spirited festival musicians. In this drastic change of scenery and lifestyle, Trifon found ways to combine and reinterpret his favorite genres and styles, relying on his firm technique and strong classical background while breaking away from the prescriptive canon to describe the world in his own artistic language. Among his main influences are Impressionism (especially Van Gogh and Manet), medieval tapestries busy with patterns, ornaments, and fairytale motifs, and Fauvism whose bright contrastive colors can be detected in many of Trifon’s works. Besides painting, Trifon studies psychology and plans to pursue further education in art therapy.