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In the paintings of Russian-born artist Ilya Zomb, images of ballerinas, elephants, and gigantic fruits appear as if out of a dream, but the artist says it’s the everyday life in New York,where he lives, that inspires his flights of fancy.

Occupying the shadowy space "between the possible and impossible, the real and unreal," Ilya Zomb's brilliantly conceived, chimerical paintings lie at the elusive intersection of reality and pure fantasy. They are reminiscent of such diverse masters as Botticelli, Degas, and Magritte – but perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of this Russian artist's work is that, despite myriad tempting comparisons, it remains curiously unique.

Zomb's images can be incredibly theatrical, recalling the dream sequences often found in productions of dance, or the nature-defying feats of circus performers. At other times the scenes have a mythical, literary feel, and we can easily imagine them as sumptuous illustrations for a lost book of parables penned by the likes of Scheherazade. An intensely perceptive artist, Zomb never fails to account for the contradictory emotions provoked by the uncertainty of reality. His works are dynamic with an air of celebration, of a spectacular and opulent grand finale, while other pieces of his are poignant and meditative as a still pool.

Like all great spinners of tales, Zomb is a superb sorcerer. He continually manipulates our most basic expectations by altering proportion, hinting at hidden allegory, and manifesting, through careful realism, scenes that barely perch on the possible. Entreating viewers to "look at my paintings as you would travel to some exotic country and stare in amazement at the strange new world," Zomb deftly conjures a vision where man-sized fruit is perpetually ripe; where beasts and storms, purged of their minatory natures, are harbingers of peace and beauty. His dreamy, enchanting work allows for the kind of utopic harmony that is all but nonexistent in the realm of the brutally real. And his stirring messages, while rooted in an exploration of the ancient human longing to control circumstance and environment, bear relevance to the most contemporary of concerns.

Solo Exhibitions: 2006 – “Metamorphoses of Stillness” Campton Gallery, New York NY. 2004 – Pairs, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, New York NY. 2001 - Recent Paintings, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, New York NY. 1999 - Recent Paintings, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, New York NY. 1998 - New Paintings and prints, Bennett Galleries, Knoxville TN; Recent Paintings, Sailor Valentine's Gallery, Nantucket MA. 1997 - Daily Phenomena, Avery on Bond, NoHo, NY; New Paintings, Davidson Galleries, Seattle Washington. 1996 - New Works, Bennett Galleries, Knoxville TN; Pictures of Ordinary Life, Avery on Bond, NoHo NY. 1995 - Central Park's Fairy Tales, Synchronicity Space Gallery, SoHo NY.

Group Exhibitions: 2008 - Knoxville Fine Arts Museum, Knoxville TN. 2007 - Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Great opening show. St. Helena CA. 2003 – ARTChicago, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Chicago IL; 20th Anniversary. Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco CA. 1997 - Fine Art Auction, Lincoln Center, NY. 1996 - The World Bank, Washington, D.C.; Sailor Valentine's Gallery, Nantucket, MA. 1995 - The Brookfield Gallery of Fine Arts, Massachusetts; Crossing Over, The RJR Nabisco Gallery, East Hanover NJ; Phoenix Art Gallery. Topeka Kansas; Animals and Art, Bennett Gallery, Knoxville TN; Sailor Valentine's Gallery. Nantucket MA; FNARC, New York. 1994 - Sailor Valentine gallery, Nantucket MA. 1993 - From The Union No Longer, SoHo NY. 1992 - Anna Howard Gallery, Connecticut; A Russian Affair, Princeton NJ. 1991 - Synchronicity Space Gallery, SoHo New York. 1990 - Prince Art Gallery, SoHo New York; Exhibition of 4 Artists, Anna Howard Gallery, Connecticut. 1987 - National Museum of Art of Ukraine. Kiev, USSR; Youth of Country, Manege, Moscow, USSR; Exhibition of Young Artists, Kiev, USSR. 1979 -1988 Participated throughout in various local and national exhibition and art shows Odessa and Kiev, USSR.

Permanent Collections: Knoxville Fine Arts Museum, Knoxville TN.

Publications: Menninger, Perspective, Number 2, 2002, Number 2, 2004. Art Now Gallery Guide, May 2004 (New York). METPO, May 2004, Russian American Weekly Magazine (New York). The Week, November 30, 2001 page 26 (New York). The Spirit of Butterflies, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2000. Entree Magazine, (on cover) 2000. Mode Magazine, 1999, 1998 (New York). The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 1998 (Tennessee). Gallery & Studio, 1999 (New York). Metro Pulse, 1996, 1998 (Tennessee). Novoye Russkoye Slovo (Russian American Daily Newspaper) 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007 (New York). The Nantucket Beacon, 1996 (Massachusetts). The New York Observer, 1996 (New York). Russian Reporter, 1996 (New York). ArtSpeak 1993, 1995 (New York). The Worcester Phoenix, 1995 (Massachusetts). North County News, 1993 (New York). Jewish Week, 1993 (New York). Voices, 1990 (Connecticut). Heritage Villager, 1990 (Connecticut).

Interveiws: Interview to TV channel "Culture", Russia, 2007. Interview to WMNB (Russian-American Broadcasting Co.) 1995. Interview to WCCA- Cable 13 (Massachusetts) 1995.

Education: Odessa State Art College, USSR (9/75 - 6/79). Odessa Art School, USSR (9/71-5/75) majored in fine arts.