Bio
Margarita Godgelf is a contemporary artist who moved to the UK after being granted a Global Talent Visa.
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, having studied in Moscow, she has had a diverse artistic journey. She attended the Moscow Academic Art School in 1991. Subsequently, she pursued the “New Artistic Strategies” course at the Institute of Contemporary Art in 2001 and completed an Illustration course at the British Higher School of Design in 2007. In 2016, she furthered her expertise by studying the technology of raw fresco on the church painting in Montenegro.
Since 1999, Margarita has been a member of the National Artists’ Union of Russia. In the same year she began to exhibit. Besides the exhibitions, she has undertaken different projects in graphic design, book illustration and painting churches abroad.
In 2024, she became a member of Leads Fine Artists (LFA).
Margarita’s works are included in prestigious collections such as the Kolodzei Art Foundation (US) and the Museum of Russian Art (US) as well as various private collections.
Awards
- 2015 – Certificate of honour of the Metropolitan of Montenegro for the painting of the church of St. Prophet Elijah
- 2020 – SeeMe: longlist for “Art Saves Humanity”
- 2022 – Collective East: Prize for the project “The Collective Unconscious”
Publications and interviews
- The Huts Magazine: “On big and small battles”
- The Flying Fruit Bowl: “JESS DE ZILVA X MARGARITA GODGELF”
- Afisha London: Vitaly Patsyukov. “The Collective Unconscious of Margarita Godgelf”
- Art-Moskovia: “My work begins with a strong emotion”
- Nikinews: Margarita Godgelf is a Russian graphic artist and painter
Exhibitions
Solo
- 2023 – On big and small battles (Duo with Jess de Zilva). Curious Kudu Gallery, London, UK
- 2021 – Metaphysical Research. U.ge Gallery, St. Petersburg center of Arts, Russia
- 2021 – Faceless. Surface Lab Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia
- 2021 – Art Russia Fair, Moscow
- 2008 – Defensive Reflexes. The Voloshin Library, Moscow, Russia
- 2007 – Defensive Reflexes. A-3 Gallery, Moscow, Russia
- 2006 – A visual cosmos. Central Art House, Moscow, Russia
- 2005 – Unnatural environment. Central Journalists House, Moscow, Russia
- 1999 – Without Pushkin. Duo-show. Museum Zverevski centre of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia
Selected
- 2022 – Not here / Not now. Spazio Malvazio, Venice, Italy
- 2022 – Erneuerung / Renewal. Kunsthaus RoZig gallery, Los Angeles, USA
- 2021 – Through the eyes of Russia. Camden image gallery, London, UK
- 2020 – It is not your body. Gallarty gallery, Moscow
- 2020 – Congruenсe. I like your work. Gallery Bridgette Mayer, Pennsylvania, USA
- 2020 – Art saves Humanity. See Мe community, New York
- 2003 – The Year 2003 Summarized. National Artist’s Union of Russia, Moscow
- 2002 – New Identities New Forms Contemporary Russian Artists. Georgetown University Art Galleries, Washington DC, USA
- 2002 – New Age. Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
- 2002 – Selections from the Kolodzei Collection. Silvermine Guild Arts Center Galleries, New Canaan CT, USA
- 2002 – The union of Muses. National Artist’s Union of Russia, Moscow
- 2001 – Nude at the turn of the century. National Artist’s Union of Russia, Moscow
- 2000 – New Artist for New Millennium. The Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, USA
- 2000 – Women in Art. The Atrium Gallery Morris County Administration Building, New Jersey, USA
- 1999 – Women in Art. Alliance of Russian and American Women, Chevy Chase, Washington, USA