French painter and engraver Laurent Schkolnyk was born in Paris in 1953. He is one of the few specialists in black and white colour using the trichromatic process, invented at the very beginning of the 18th century by the German painter and engraver Jacob Christoph Le Blon (1667-1741).
While studying medecine. Laurent Schkolnyk attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Nantes for seven years (from 1971 to 1978), where he focused on drawing and engraving. During this time, the young artist was taught by Paul Guimezanes (1916 - 2001). In 1987, he opened an art gallery devoted to engraving in Nantes, while continuing his artistic work. At first he produced black-and-white manners, then, from 1980 onwards, in colour using trichromy. Using this ancient technique, he etched three coppers on the same support in primary yellow, magenta red and cyan blue, superimposing the three inks to produce a brown colour close to black.
His favourite theme is still life. His works capture both a precise moment and a timeless world. Laurent Schkolnyk's work is characterised by a rich, complex aesthetic that reflects his interest in geometry, organic forms and vivid colours. His etchings are often populated by simple geometric patterns, organic shapes and shimmering colours. Among the artist's main influences are the works of the Italian painter Giorgio Morandi and Chinese decorative motifs.
He held his first exhibitions in Lyon, Cannes and San Francisco in 1985, and then went on to travel all over the world (Canada, USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, etc). In 2004, he was guest of honour at the Association parisienne Pointe et burin in Paris, in 2009 at the Taylor Foundation and in 2011 at the International Mezzotint Festival in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
His work is represented in a number of major public institutions in France and abroad (Cabinet des Estampes de la Bibliothèque nationale, Achenbach Foundation for Arts, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, Musée de l'Imprimerie de Nantes and the Cleveland Art Museum.
Laurent Schkolnyk has had numerous solo and group exhibitions not only in France, but also abroad (United States - San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Pittsburg, New Orleans, Boston, Houston, Cleveland -, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand).
The artist lives and works in Nantes.