Strolling along Royal Street in New Orleans, we passed a variety of galleries. At one point, Nadia pointed to a painting and said, “Can you paint me something like that? I liked it too, so we stepped inside, and—what a surprise!—the artist spoke Russian. Meet Victor Nenko.
Victor’s works are strikingly expressive, quick, and vivid, mostly done in acrylic. “I gave up on oil paints—they’re harmful, breathing in all those chemicals! Acrylic is a different story, he said. Originally from Siberia, Victor moved to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago. He started out painting portraits of passersby on the street, and now he owns a gallery in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
“I have a degree in architecture, but for years, people kept telling me, ‘Why stick with architecture when you’re clearly drawn to painting? Just paint!’ But back in those days in Russia, it was almost impossible to make a living from art. So I moved to the U.S.
We felt his style perfectly suited New Orleans, especially the French Quarter. While we were in his studio, several people bought prints. “Prints—that’s what pays the bills. Paintings sell less often, he remarked. On Royal Street, it’s hard to find two galleries alike, just as it’s rare to see two identical houses in the French Quarter.
There’s little information about Victor Nenko (Puzanenko) online beyond his artwork and official social media. But perhaps that’s how it should be—an artist’s work speaks for itself.
We left with warm and pleasant impressions.
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Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 