As a young car enthusiast with a talent for drawing, Ilya Avakov could never have imagined his art would later be exhibited around the world, including London and Miami.
But his artistic relaxation, inspired by beautiful car design, has been showcased often outside his Russian homeland and led to some fascinating commissions that include a Volga fan in Italy.
Growing up in Murmansk and later moving south to Pyatigorsk within a very artistic family, Ilya was encouraged to draw from an early age.
Ilya Avakov’s dramatic bird’s-eye view of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33
He says: “My father is a painter and industrial designer, my mother is a sculptor. Both went to the St Petersburg State Art and Industrial Academy, where I later studied industrial design.”
Ilya completed his studies in transportation design and has since worked in a wide variety of jobs in the industry, including designing combine harvesters at Rostselmash and toys for manufacturer Magneticus.
“As I started to learn more about vehicles, so my painting became bolder – particularly when I began working on canvas,” Ilya explains.
“Painting is a meditative process and a way to forget everything in the world, particularly after a long day at work.”
Niki Lauda in the Ferrari 312T
