ABOUT
Valentine Grukhin (36-year-old) 6/1/1988, is an artist and award-winning designer originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, now based in Raleigh, North Carolina. He holds an MFA in Interior Design from the University of Central
Oklahoma and began an MA in Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering Graphic and Design from ITMO University in St. Petersburg, and studied art at the Youth Art School named after B.M. Kustodiev.
Art and design have played a significant role in Valentine’s life since childhood, shaping both his creative and rofessional paths. Over the past four years, he has worked as an architectural designer and architect in Oklahoma, with seven completed architectural and interior design projects. Layouts for four residential houses and interiors for three cafés.
Working with oil, acrylics, wood, and mixed materials, Valentine continues to develop a multidisciplinary practice rooted in storytelling and material exploration.
Exhibitions & Art Fairs
- Group Show, InYourEye Gallery – Oklahoma City, OK (February 2022)
- Artini Art Auction – Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK (2023, 2024)
- Oklahoma Design Show House – Oklahoma City, OK (2018, Best Use of Space Award)
Awards Exhibitions & Art Fairs
- Best Use of Space / interior design (by visitors votes), Group Show, the Oklahoma Design Show House – Oklahoma City, OK (September, 2018)
- A Citation for Innovative Concept – the Robert Bruce Thompson Lighting Design Competition (2018)
Artist Statement
My work explores emotional landscapes, fleeting encounters, and nature’s shifting energy. Using bold textures and raw materials, I capture transformation, connection, and beauty. Inspired by wildflowers and wind, I express the tension between fragility and strength, chaos and harmony, preserving ephemeral moments in art.
I focus on exploring the second life of constructional materials in my sculptural work, giving discarded elements new purpose. Much of my practice is driven by an effort to capture raw, unfiltered moments drawn from memory and emotion.