It looks like the Russian Artist Rustam QBic is very busy dropping one mural after the other, and this time he just completed a mural in our nation’s capital for POW! WOW!‘s edition in Washington DC, which is led by local artist Kelly Towles, along with many great partners and volunteers.
About The Mural
The mural is entitled “Peaceful Time” and it depicts a boy sitting on an old and rusty tank and wanting to surprise a girl with flowers. The artist is dreaming of a better world that seems to be far out of reach especially with what’s going on in the world, as he said: “One day we’ll wake up in the world.. where there is no war. We will look at each other with a different view, without resentment, aggression and pain. One day we will become better…“.
In general, Rustam’s messages in his murals tended to be loose and always leaving it to us to make our own interpretations, but this time the message is crystal clear.
About The Artist
Rustam QBic was born in 1985 in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. He studied at the Kazan Art School, worked with illustration, design and graffiti and taught at the Children’s School of Design.
His love for graffiti and creating work in public was quickly interrupted by his love for classic painting and it didn’t take long until he replaced the letter based works with surrealist story telling pictures and characters. This new style that blends illustrative elements, surrealist imagery and distinctive color palette was first revealed at his debut solo show in 2013 at the Street Kit Gallery in Moscow.
Highly influenced by life, his family, nature and books, Rustam’s work carry universal messages of love, knowledge and spirituality while constantly developing his visual language and technique. Actively working both on large scale murals and canvases, he participated in street art events in Russia, Switzerland, USA, Australia, etc, as well as in charity auctions alongside Swoon, Phlegm, Faile, Sandra Chevrier and many others.
About POW! WOW!
POW! – It’s the impact that art has on a person. WOW! – It’s reaction that art has on a viewer. Together they form POW! WOW!, which is a Native American term that describes a gathering that celebrates culture, music and art. Centered around a week-long event that includes gallery shows, lecture series, mural projects, concerts, and live art installations, POW! WOW! brings international and local artists together to create murals and other forms of art. The festival has visited cities and destinations such as Taiwan, Long Beach, Hawaii, D.C. and Worcester, MA.
