SadFace
Russian sad matryoshka doll
Lot 42 Year: 2018Material, technique: A set of 15 items
Size: from 33 cm to 6 mm Estimate: $753 Start bidding: $685 SOLD FOR $685
Aleksei Ilkaev, who hides under the pseudonym SadFace, was born in 1992 in Perm. He does performance, promotions, graffiti and sculpture. SadFace became famous for his iconic graffiti of sad faces, which can be seen in Perm, Krasnodar, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Berlin, to name a few. “Russian Sad Matryoshka” reverses the idea of a traditional toy. The basic principle of an ordinary matryoshka doll is repeatability with variation: the dolls are similar but different. Every SadFace matryoshka doll is also different. Take a closer look, each has its own eyes and lip shape. But unlike the Russian symbol of fertility and wealth, every SadFace matryoshka doll is sad. In the artist’s opinion, it is sadness and difficulty that is part of personality development. This seems to be much more suitable for the expression of contemporary Russia.