Printmaker uses details to turn art’s messages into riddles

By Kirk Boxleitner
Posted 1/29/25

 

 

Although Egor Shokoladov leans on a translator to express himself in English, his primary method of expression has always been through his art.

Shokoladov originally …

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Printmaker uses details to turn art’s messages into riddles

Posted

 

 

Although Egor Shokoladov leans on a translator to express himself in English, his primary method of expression has always been through his art.

Shokoladov originally hails from a small town in Eastern Europe, and long before he lived in Port Angeles and Port Townsend, he was expressing his thoughts and impressions about the world through graphic art.

He said his most favored medium of art, making prints through engraved plates, is a bit unorthodox, but it’s also gained him showcases around the world.

Shokoladov’s work has been displayed in galleries, museums and private collections in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, China and the United States.

Shokoladov, who moved to the U.S. in 2020, has had his work featured closer to home, as well, in the Artist Showcase at the Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend and the Contemporary Printmaking Art Inventory at the Davidson Galleries in Seattle.

From Jan. 31 through Feb. 1 from 5:30-8:30 p.m., the Low Fence, Horse  Now, the exhibit, “A Piece of Shokolad” is at Sense Gallery on 57th Street, between Hill and Jackman in Port Townsend.

Through his translator, Shokoladov told The Leader that he will be available at the gallery to explain as much of his printmaking process as he can, likening it to “show and tell” although he won’t actually be making any prints on site.

Shokoladov works in a variety of styles, from cartoonish to realistic, with plenty of side detours into cubism and surrealism along that spectrum. He freely admitted that a degree of symbolism makes it into all of his work, whose topics likewise range from the cosmos of outer space to the subconscious.

When asked what drew him to the medium of engraved plates for his printmaking, Shokoladov attributed it to his graphic artist’s heart, since even his seemingly abstract visuals are based on exact applications of lines, dots and spots.

“Those three components — the line, the dot and the spot — can be reproduced through a variety of formats and media, from the very large to the very small,” Shokoladov said. “It allows for very fine details, and what’s funny is, it allows me to hide my messages sometimes, because when people see all these fine details, it can take them a while to see the larger message. It’s almost like a riddle, where you have to combine all those details, in your field of vision, to figure out the puzzle.”

Shokoladov, still speaking through his translator, described his style and techniques as “meta-modernism, reflected in graphics implemented in vintage printmaking techniques and experiments, with mixed media and materials.” In 2022, his art was presented in a solo exhibition at the PUB Gallery of Art of Peninsula College in Port Angeles.

Since then, Shokoladov has participated in more than 75 selected group exhibitions and juried shows all over the United States and internationally, and three of his works were selected for public art projects in the state of Washington.

Shokoladov’s most recent successes include three People’s Choice Awards at the juried exhibitions at Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend, a Second Prize Award in the “Prize of the Jury” category at the Deutsche Exlibris-Gesellschaft eV International Competition 2022 in Moers, Germany, and the Third Place Winner at the juried show at d’Art Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

Shokoladov’s exhibition at the Low Fence, Horse Sense Gallery also represents a personal milestone for him, since he turns 35 years old on Jan. 29, right before the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 showcase, so it’s allowed him to reflect on how far he’s come.