Alexander Sokolov is one of the most prominent young-generation sculptors in Belarus. Born in Moscow in 1986, he received formal training in fine arts.
He works with diverse materials – bronze, stone, granite, terracotta – imbuing his sculptures with a sense of monumentality and timelessness. Yet by preserving hand-worked textures and rough surfaces, he transforms matter into what feels like “living material”.
Alexander Sokolov’s style embodies a profound dialogue between material and concept, where sculpture transcends mere objecthood to become a medium for contemplation. His works are silent yet charged with inner tension and meaning, revealing a deep preoccupation with form, symbol, and the human condition. Despite their material density, Sokolov’s sculptures possess an inherent restraint. He eschews decorative excess, focusing instead on the conceptual core of form. In his work, classical principles – reverence for anatomy, composition, and the architecture of the figure – undergo a contemporary synthesis.
Yet the contemporary art is conceptualist strategies, kinetic elements, even augmented reality. Many pieces resonate with mythological and religious themes (e.g., Adam and Eve), chess logic, Zen cultural philosophy, and the memory of historical trauma.
Alexander Sokolov actively participates in exhibitions and symposiums both in Belarus and internationally. His works are held in the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus as well as private collections in England, Russia, and Poland.
Major solo exhibitions:
Pietà (2021) — Memorial Studio-Museum of Zair Azgur.
Mask (2021) — Memorial Studio-Museum of Zair Azgur.
A Collection of Chess Koans (2024) — Cube Gallery, Moscow. This exhibition features works inspired by the Anarchy Chess phenomenon, including sculptures, augmented reality paintings, and kinetic objects.
Major works:
Legend (2020, bronze) — held in the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.
Mask (series, stone, 2021) — explores themes of identity and self-expression.
Adam and Eve (2019, bronze) — Private collection, Belarus.
Elegy (2021, granite) — a work exploring themes of memory and loss.
Pietà (2021, terracotta) — A project dedicated to the Chornobyl tragedy, exhibited at the Zair Azgur Memorial Studio-Museum.
Public works:
Heart — installed at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Cardiology in Minsk (the artist's diploma project for the Academy of Arts).
Memorial to the Burned Villages of the Mahilioŭ Region — Village of Borki, 2020.
Alexander Sokolov has participated in international stone sculpture symposiums in Nizhny Novgorod (2021) and Astrašycki Haradok (2021), as well as the Bronzeart Festival in Astrašycki Haradok (2020).