The exhibition brings together more than 80 works that reveal the sculptor’s creative path from early works to mature works of the Argentine period.
Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya (1876−1959) entered the history of Russian and world art as an outstanding master of plastic art and a virtuoso woodcarver who was able to unlock the possibilities of rare breeds — kebracho and algarrobo. Working in In Russia, Italy, France and Argentina, he created his own artistic language, which organically combined the traditions of symbolism, national culture and a deep sense of nature. The sculptor himself said that he only helps the material to show the beauty inherent in it, preserving the natural texture of the wood and turning it into a part of the artistic image.
The title of the exhibition draws attention to the key feature of the master’s work — the mythological perception of the world. For Erzi, myth becomes a way of understanding history, human nature, and the cultural memory of different peoples. The exposition reveals this topic based on the material of three sections — «Living history», «Hostage to beauty» and «Faces of the world», dedicated to heroic images, female beauty and national characters.