Macrame icons by Vladimir Denshchikov

Panteleimon the Healer. Knotted netting, oil on canvas, linen thread. Macrame icons by Vladimir Denshchikov

Macrame icons by Vladimir Denshchikov
Talented textile artist and designer Vladimir Denshchikov has been working in macrame art for more than 30 years. Noteworthy, he is the only person in the world who creates icons of linen thread.
Born on July 1, 1952 in Kiev, Denshchikov graduated from Kiev theatrical University in 1974. After graduation, in 1975-2007 worked as an actor, director, and art director of the Crimean Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Maxim Gorky. Having started with necklaces, pendants, handbags, today, in his artistic heritage – highest artistic level of iconic garments and paintings. To create icons Vladimir uses a unique technique of macrame, collage, which has no analogues in the world.
Noteworthy, Vladimir created icons previously blessed by priests. Accordingly, all work performed by the master follow the church canons. Besides, in a single copy, and each has from one to several million knots. In fact, this technique is unique and has no analogues in the world. Experts call Denshchikov founder of a new type of icon making. Beautiful works by Denshchikov captivate the viewer with an amazing atmosphere of light, happiness and peace of mind. All of them are made in the technique of “knotted netting”, in which the author has more than 30 years of experience.

Bells. knotted netting, oil on canvas, linen thread, 50.0 x 40.0 cm, Macrame collage

The creation of the icon size 40×50 takes 3 to 6 months, sometimes more. It took 14 months and 9,000,000 knots to create St. Alexander Nevsky icon. Images of saints painted in oil on linen canvas.

The master’s works were exhibited in Germany , Austria, Hungary, Ukraine and the Crimea. They are also found in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany and the USA. All the icons are active, they live and help people. In July 2010, the icon “Tenderness” was offered as a gift to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. In May 2011, the icon of the Holy Prince Vladimir was presented to His Beatitude, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Volodymyr.

Holy Martyr Natalia. knotted netting, oil on canvas, linen thread

According to researcher of Orthodox Christian iconography, L. A. Uspensky, Denshchikov’s icons may serve as a basis for a new type of canonical icon.

Denshchikov is People’s Artist of Ukraine, Honored Worker of Arts of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and The Laureate of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Also, Knight of the Order “For Merit III”, Saint Vladimir, and the Order “Andrei Rublev”. In addition, he is an Honorary Academician of Crimean Academy of Sciences, the professor.

Macrame icons by Vladimir Denshchikov

Among exhibitions in Europe the artist showed his artworks in 1998 and 2002 Heidelberg, Germany. His solo exhibitions in Europe included Hungary (2010, 2011) and Austria (2010, 2011). Solo exhibitions took place mostly in Ukraine and Russia in 2008-2013.