Stanislav Khomyakov

Year of Birth: 1997.
Education: Self-taught in art; Bachelor’s degree from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Russia.
Style in Three Words: Modern, Free, Bold.
Specialization: Street Art, Aerosol Graphics, Installation.
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Your project “Adult Child” touches on the theme of unfulfilled childhood dreams. What inspired you to explore this concept?

Today, we live in a very fast-paced world, where we are bombarded with tasks, duties, and responsibilities, and sometimes there’s not enough time to slow down and listen to our inner voice—”Am I happy? Am I living the life I always dreamed of, or am I just running without a purpose?” A year ago, I came across a small exercise where you take a sheet of paper and write down everything you dreamed about as a child, from small wishes like buying a ball to big ones like becoming an astronaut. This exercise helped me look at my life from a different perspective because the more unfulfilled desires we have, the more unhappy we may feel. The stricter we are with ourselves about not fulfilling our dreams, the more irritated and envious we become when we see someone else succeeding. I came up with quite a long list, and at that moment, I realized that there are many people like me, those who got caught up in routine and don’t live, but just exist in this world. It was then that the idea came to me—to remind people, and first and foremost myself, of our childhood dreams, of what we once aspired to when we weren’t surrounded by adult responsibilities. Even if we start small, we are already on the path to “self-love,” and that’s when the magic happens. We literally “return ourselves to ourselves,” allowing ourselves to dream, and these dreams start to become a reality because there’s no longer an internal restriction.

In your works, you depict various childhood desires that were never realized. How do you approach translating these personal experiences into art?

With my works, I want to reach every person, so that the viewer, who is lucky enough to see my art, can say: “Wow, I also once dreamed of learning to skate!” or “Yes, I was never allowed to have a dog either, it turns out I’m not the only one!” In this way, through personal experiences, people unite and realize that they are not alone in their problems. I try to communicate with people, ask them questions, and preserve their most valuable experiences, which may later serve as the foundation for my works. Often, if you look at the paintings I create, you can notice my personal themes, things that worried me before and still do, things I didn’t even think about before starting this project. I’m not afraid to open up to people through my creativity, and I want others to feel the same, to not be afraid to open up to one another, to share their experiences, and through this process find solutions.

Stanislav Khomyakov | Punk

Could you share more about the role of nostalgia in your art, especially in relation to childhood memories?

By resorting to nostalgia in my works, I want to bring people back to a time when they had no worries, when the constant thought of “what will happen tomorrow?” didn’t occupy their minds. A time when there was no one stronger than Dad and kinder than Mom, I try to awaken forgotten feelings in people so they can experience them once again by looking at my project. Today, our world is as unstable and restless as ever, and everyone needs some support at some point, so why not let my paintings be that support, bringing us back to childhood and giving us a bit of warmth? Perhaps, speaking about all people, I am trying to return myself to that happy time and reflect through creativity, to hide at least for a while from the present—who knows!

How do you think your art reflects the balance between childhood aspirations and adulthood realities?

I think my art helps us understand ourselves better through our childhood aspirations. My works are not about you quitting your job today and running off to learn how to ride a bike, no. They are about how real life, as we grow older, turns into a constant “race,” where day turns into night and vice versa. In such a fast-paced environment, we lose the taste for life, and sometimes we stop enjoying our achievements because we’re always in a hurry towards some goals. And only when we calm down, exhale, and spend time figuring out what truly energizes us in life, will we feel real joy. We allow something new to enter our lives, free ourselves from dissatisfaction, and learn to understand how important it is to just think about ourselves and realize what we really need. That’s why I believe I’m working on an important project, showing that it is possible to strike a balance between our childhood aspirations and adult life.

Stanislav Khomyakov | Girl

What was the process behind creating the series? Did you use specific symbols or elements to express these unmet childhood dreams?

At the beginning of creating the series, I only listened to my inner responses because, first and foremost, this was an experiment for myself and an attempt to understand myself better. For this reason, the first works I created were based on my own childhood dreams, on what my inner child required of me—riding a skateboard, buying those very sneakers I dreamed of all my childhood but never had for various reasons, or learning to play basketball like the great stars! By analyzing myself, I started this project, and later, when I saw the positive feedback from people, I realized that I probably wasn’t alone in this and that there are many people who also have a baggage of unfulfilled dreams that weigh on them. So I decided to scale the project, to make it bigger and touch as many personal stories as possible so that people could, through my paintings, get a little closer to themselves, just as I did.

How does your street art background influence the way you approach installation pieces and gallery exhibitions?

All of my works start with the street; even this project I began by displaying my works not in galleries or exhibitions, but in the urban space, on the walls of buildings. I think it’s evident from my style that I am close to street art, and I consider it paramount, so it was important for me to maintain the balance between street and exhibition art. Through the street, I can engage in dialogue with every resident of my city and share my thoughts. For me, art should not have boundaries like showcases or stands. Many galleries and curators say my works are not their format! That doesn’t bother me because creativity in any form will always find a way to reach the audience; if it’s not in a gallery format, it will be presented on the street, in open spaces under the starry sky. But now, more and more galleries and exhibitions are beginning to recognize street art as a serious and independent direction, and I’m proud to be a part of this because it doesn’t matter whether you paint with acrylic on canvas or with spray paint on a brick wall, we’re all trying to communicate our emotions to the world and find a response in thousands of hearts!

Stanislav Khomyakov | Dream | 2024

Can you explain the significance of the title “BIRGS” and how it ties into your artistic identity?

BIRGS is my creative pseudonym under which I create my works. I believe we should not only move forward but also not forget our past and honor it. That’s the foundation of my nickname. Birg is the surname of my grandfather, whom I never met, but who undoubtedly is a huge part of my identity. Even though he didn’t get to see his grandson, his grandson knows, remembers, and will do everything to keep his memory alive forever.