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Biography
Youri Jarkikh (Jarki) (Russian: Юрий Александрович Жарких), born July, 16th, 1938 in Tichorezk, in the region of Krasnodarskij (UDSSR), a French-Russian painter and visual artist of the vanguard.
From 1958-1961 Youri Jarkikh attended the navigation school in Leningrad, from 1961-1967 the Leningrad academy of art and industry "Wera Muchina".
Co-organizer of the movement for independent art in the Soviet Union. Youri Jarkikh performed in the cultural history of Leningrad (St.-Petersburg) as an organizer and member of the organising committee of the independent society for experimental exhibitions.
In 1974, Youri Jarkikh organized, together with O.Rabin, E. Ruchin, A. Gleser [all non-conformistical artists] the Bulldozer Exhibition (Russian: Бульдозерная выставка) in Moskau. In 1974 and 1975 Youri Jarkikh was one of the initiators of the legendary exhibition of the unofficial art in Leningrad, in the house of culture Gaza and "Newskij".
Youri Jarkikh was chased by the KGB, because of his activities. His health was severely affected through the practice with Iprite (poison). In 1977 he emigrated to Germany and in 1978 onward to France, where he received political asylum.
In 1984 Youri Jarkikh put an old idea into practice and founded the artists`association "Eidos". Together with 14 other contemporary French artists he exposed in Paris, in the Palais of the Congrés, from 1987 to 1988. In 1990 he was elected "Premier Peintre de Paris" (First Artist of Paris).
After the exhibition "poets`alphabet" in Sankt-Petersburg in 2008, he accepted the Russian nationality again, which was offered to him by the government. To this day Youri Jarkikh lives and works in France.
In the judgement of gallery owners, Youri Jarkikh's creativity developed under the great influence of the traditions of the Russian vanguard and the German expressionism. Youri Jarkikh describes his own art style as "Eidos".