What is it about?
The article deals with the biography and works of Genādijs Suhanovs (Gennady Sukhanov, 1946–2005), a Russian-born graphic artist who settled in Latvia in 1973 and took interest in New Age-related ideas. He experimented with lithography, mixing it with ink washes, pencils, draughtsman’s pens, and gold and silver pigments. Suhanovs’ works depict visions of strange, semi-abstract structures with an esoteric flavour – maps or plans of some secret facilities, oriental mandalas or Bronze-age archaeological finds like various fibulae.
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Photo by Adhitya Ginanjar on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Suhanovs at least partly belongs to the non-conformist artistic scene of the Soviet period, and his legacy is not yet studied in sufficient depth. His works exemplify the general surge of interest in the occult and supernatural during late Soviet Latvia alongside drawing on abstract avant-garde trends. The artist also stands out with his bohemian image and lifestyle, comparable to the romantic artist-outsider; at the same time, he emerges as a quasi-scientific engineer in his art, working with remarkable technical precision.
Perspectives
Genādijs Suhanovs was among the most enigmatic yet fascinating artists I decribed in the upcoming vol. 6 of Art History of Latvia, dealing with the second half of the 20th century. Particularly interesting is his fascination with ancient ornaments and their possible interpretations between coded meaning and decorative function.
Stella Pelše
Art Academy of Latvia Institute of Art History
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Making Visible: Mandalas and Fibulae of Genādijs Suhanovs, December 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004747470_016.
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