Aleksandr Borisovitch Samoylov was born to his parents in 1986 in Moscow, Russia. He will never be able to run for President of the United States. This fact haunts him, but he has spent much of his life coming to terms with it, and, if you were to ask him about that now, will adamantly insist that this whole line is simply a joke. Don’t believe him, however. On the inside, he  is quietly weeping for his impossible executive ambitions.

He graduated (with the highest honors, of course) in 2008 from the Maryland Institute College of Art. The Aleks, as he is sometimes known to friend and foe alike, is a gentle creature by default, but can be fearsome if the occasion calls for it. His ways are mysterious and special. The Aleks’ diverse works are known and appreciated the world over, from his native Russia to places like Peru, and Japan. While he initially majored in Painting (yes, they give out degrees in Painting), he sees himself as a creator first and foremost, and chooses to embrace the whole of art and creation, having become, through intensive meditation, an ultimate multimedia nexus of aesthetic pleasures. The Aleks will probably never “make it” in the traditional Art World, largely because said Art World has recently become obsolete due to the advent of information technology, and only continues to exist by inertia in the form of an insular, self referential bubble that no young artist should aspire to become part of (no offense, Art World). He is glad of these developments for very selfish reasons. Before the collapse of the traditional Art World (of which said Art World is happily oblivious) his teachers had told him that he’d have to move to New York, which is a lovely city and all, but really not an optimal place for beautiful beasts of gentle and abiding power, of which the Aleks is a prime specimen. It is common knowledge that everyone in New York City uses their oven for storage and lives in two bedroom apartments with nine roommates. New Yorkers sure are brave.

Yes, the Aleks is exceptional and powerful. He has seen things you people wouldn’t believe. He can do things that your five year old can’t (without training) do. He does not see the point in presenting himself in a “professional” manner, because he has evolved beyond profession and professionalism. The Aleks is both Art and Commerce. The Aleks is edgy, trendy, underground, post-geographic, globally local, and wildly inspirational.