On the eve of the birthday of Stepan Erzia (November 1876 – November 1959), a distinctive sculptor of the 20^th century, let us recall the recent thematic exhibition ‘In Dialogue with Chaco’* held at the museum Collection.

Few Russian sculptors in the 20^th century enjoyed such widespread recognition as Stepan Nefedov. Wherever fate took him, this craftsman managed to leave behind a wonderful memory of himself, preserved in his art works, which are impossible to forget once you have seen them!
Female images inspired by his imagination and affection came to life under the sculptor's chisel. Erzia managed to express in his art works the sense of admiration that the surrounding world evoked in him.

Creative work of the talented sculptor Erzia, revealing one of the brightest pages of art, belongs to the truly national values of our culture. Being Erzian by nationality, he became a widely known sculptor under the name Erzia. The sculptor took this pseudonym in honour of his native indigenous small ethnic community as a tribute to his great love for them, which laid the foundation for his artistic mastery. In his creative work, Erzia drew on the finest examples of Russian and world art, while remaining a son of his ethnic community, bound by invisible threads to his native land, its nature, and its centuries-old traditions in the sphere of folk art.

The exhibition "In Dialogue with Chaco" brought together 12 hypnotising works of the sculptor – originals and casts of the Argentine period –sculptures from the collection of the International Art Foundation named after Stepan Erzia, museum Collection and Antique salon "On the Patriarchs".

The dialog with Chaco, which had lasted for almost a quarter of a century, turned out to be one of the most important dialogs in his life.

Photo report: "Opening of the exhibition "Dialogue with Chaco" is posted in the museum Photo Gallery.
Video tour through the exhibition “In dialogue with Chaco” is in the section “Video excursions sequence”.

*Chaco (officially – the Province of Chaco) is one of the 23 provinces in Argentina. Its capital and largest city, is Resistencia.