Russia’s Native Mushrooms: Botanical Watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky

Exhibition Name: Russia’s Native Mushrooms: Botanical Watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky

Description:
The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) in Minneapolis presents a traveling exhibition of watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky. The exhibition focuses on realistic depictions of Russia’s native mushrooms. Drawing on the collections of Michael Peltsman, the exhibition includes 25 works by this prominent botanical artist.
 
Alexander Viazmensky paints mushrooms native to northern Russia, such as chanterelle, porcini, and birch mushrooms — a favorite food of the inhabitants of Russian forests, both people and animals. Viazmensky also paints poisonous mushrooms that the artist loves for their spectacular colors and shapes. 

These watercolors belong to the genre of botanical art.  True-to-life renderings of plants and fungi have been used by scholars and lovers of nature for many centuries.  As an art form, the genre fosters observation and appreciation of the functionality, diversity, and beauty of the living world. 

The renowned British botanist, art collector, and philanthropist, Dr. Shirley Sherwood, discovered his work early on and realized how he had elevated botanical art. She hastened to introduce it to the Western world, and she put much of it on display in London and elsewhere. Sherwood’s promotion of Viazmensky’s art helped generate enthusiasm for his first American exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1992.

Larry Millman, a frequent contributor to Fungi, with his extensive knowledge of fungi, describes the paintings as “simply extraordinary.” The renditions, he said, “transcend simple mycology. They go beyond the level of illustration and take the viewer effortlessly into the highest realms of art. The accuracy and realism achieved by the artist are uncanny.”

From Portrait of the Artist as a Mycologist, by David O. Born, Fungi

Alexander Viazmensky, born in 1946, is a resident of St. Petersburg, Russia. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in 1991.  His superb works can be found in museums and private collections around the world, including the Hunt Institute in Pittsburgh, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens, London.  He is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and one of the founders of the Russian Society of Mycology.

Learn more about the artist: www.alexandermushrooms.com

Exhibition Contents: 25 framed watercolors on paper; 19 – 11″x15″, 3 – 9″ x 12″, and 3 – 7.5″ x
10″. 

Categories: Environment and ecology; natural history; science and technology; art
Primarily Consists of: Watercolor paintings depicting the life cycle of various mushrooms
Includes: Catalog; electronic labels/didactic panels; installation guide
Cost: $4,000 (fixed fee plus outgoing shipping)
Size: 75 linear feet
Rental Period: 10 weeks
Availability: January 2026 – December 2030
Touring Status: Not yet touring
Available to locations: United States
Previous Venue: The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis
Contact: Michael Waltz, [email protected]
Organizer Location: Minneapolis, MN