A priest-artist from the Vladimir region presented an exhibition of paintings in pastel on black in Moscow: one of the works is dedicated to soldiers who died in the conflict zonetranslated

Until November 30, 2026, the unique exhibition “On Black” is running at the Harmony Cultural Center in Moscow.

This exhibition is a personal project of priest Georgy Parfenov, a pastel artist from the Vladimir region and a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, the organizers told Foma magazine.

Priest Georgy Parfenov. Photo courtesy of the organizers

“The title combines two meanings: the creation of the world from nothingness with light, as in the first lines of the Book of Genesis, and the property of the technique itself, in which a black background enhances the color, and light is superimposed on top of the dark,” the organizers noted.

“First Snow”, priest Georgy Parfenov, 2016. Image courtesy of the organizers

There are a total of 42 works on display: 40 of them are painted in a unique technique – pastels on black paper, two – in oils.

All works are landscapes of the “inhabited” land of central Russia. The scenes are the most common: spring thaw, summer evening by the pond, late autumn on the hills, cherry blossoms.

“September”, priest Georgy Parfenov, 2025. Image courtesy of the organizers

“The fragile and demanding technique of pastel transforms them into small events where each state of nature gets its own voice,”...