I spent a long time looking for words to write in this issue, but I found something that, I hope, will speak better than words. This is the work of the artist Anton Merkurov. His “Angel’s Heart” speaks better. And may love give us strength, hope and support.

Anna Burashova
Editor in Chief, Marie Claire Russia

I want to multiply love as a social profit to provide tangible benefits around the world.

Everything starts with a symbol, and a heart is a symbol of love. Which everyone understands, regardless of any social burden. Something universal, that can unite us.

Formally it’s a two ways of work: I’ll try, then it’s possible, research how artists work on that symbol, mostly on the streets, because they reflect current view.

Second, I’ll try to do it on my own. Every one is unique. By type, size, medium or material. There are no borders, offline and online as well.

I have spent more than 20 years in media and communication, doing research, running new media, generating ideas and promoting new technologies.

I want to put all my experience, that started in late 90 in Moscow. as was a co-founder
of a few It-compaies, because the Internet just started spreading across the world.
Work as a photographer, and see the end of film cameras. How everything goes digital
and myself as well.

I work in a corporation and with a corporation. have a lecture in diflerent institutes, and try to change some laws. 

Today I am still working with communications. Now – decentralised. And this is a great opportunity to become an artist.

Love is necessary, Love is never enough, Love is a key for all

Armenian-Jewish Artist Anton Merkurov, a great-grandson of famous soviet sculptor Sergey Merkurov was born and grow up in soviet and 90’s Moscow, and later between London and Moscow. Being a gifted and talented creative person and a part of artistic community he had all the opportunities to became an artist since his childhood, but in the beginning of his career Merkurov decided to work with new technologies and became an Internet expert, and after 20 years experience had a great success in this field, being one of the most demanded consultant ant crypto expert in Russia.

At the same time during all his life Merkurov works with family heritage, developing Sergey Merkurov’s Museum at Gyumri, Armenia, published a book with letters and memoirs, organising exhibitions and NFT drop with Lenin’s mask made by Sergey Merkurov, and continuing do paintings, short narratives and later NFT drops.

Merkurov’s life credo is «Love is the life and key to everything. Love is necessary. And Love is the thing is never enough» and that’s why Merkurov decided to transfer this statement as his main statement as an artist.

In 2015, at the age of 33, Merkurov began to create a series of artworks entitled “Hearts of Angels,” drawing simple hearts in the naive art technique. After seven years, Merkurov has strengthened his artistic statement and came forward as an artist with his own unique technique, telling the world that love and humanity are the most important things in the world.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Merkurov has created a series of artworks opposing the war and supporting Ukrainians.