As a modern impressionist, Leonid Afremov developed his own instantly recognizable painting style. Born in Belarus, his life as an artist was a struggle, until he moved to Israel in 1990 and from there in 2002, to North America, where he lived until his death and created some of his finest work. He succeeded by embracing a new platform for promoting his art, the internet, after spending many years struggling and even selling his paintings door to door. The internet, though, provided a much wider audience. In many ways, he’s a pioneer of the modern painter’s digital life without the safety net of major art galleries and live exhibitions.
Experimenting with new styles, he mastered the palette knife technique, which became his signature style, with thick vivid layers of paint applied to the canvas in sharp strokes. Among his favourite motifs were jazz musicians that he met and listened to while living in Florida. His unique technique transformed beautiful jazz music into magnificent works of art, full of life and colour.