Soviet Tatar artist Rifkat Mukhamedovich Vakhitov
Soviet Tatar artist Rifkat Mukhamedovich Vakhitov
Born February 26, 1938 in Izhevsk, Rifkat grew up in a typical Tatar family, where they instilled love for their national traditions. In 1965 he graduated from the Kharkov Art Institute. Aftar graduating from the institute he became a permanent participant of exhibitions of Soviet Art. And already in 1972, he became the member of the USSR Union of artists.
Meanwhile, the artist traveled a lot. Thus, the result of his creative trips to Soviet Tashkent in the 1970s, to Turkey in the mid-1990s, became his colorful landscapes. However, after a visit to America in 2012, the artist did not create a single canvas. According to the artist, the East, and in particular, Tatarstan and its culture inspire him more.
Vakhitov has an extensive experience in creative, pedagogical, organizational and social activities. He worked in Udmurtia and Uzbekistan. However, the real flowering of Vakhitov’s creativity comes after the artist moved to Kazan in 1984. The artist created a rich gallery of historical portraits of the outstanding personalities of our time. Interpretation of the image of the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev is interesting. A convincing portrait resemblance and psychological certainty distinguishes the figures of the Tatarstan culture: Salikh Saidashev, Ilham Shakirov, Robert Minnulin, and Alfiya Tutaeva.
In addition, Vakhitov works a lot in other genres: still lifes and landscapes. Besides, he mastered various techniques of monumental painting. For example, he is the author of stunning mosaic panels at the “Tukaevskaya” station of the Kazan Metro (2005).
Soviet Tatar artist Rifkat Mukhamedovich Vakhitov
Also, the artist devotes much time and effort to teaching: since 2006 he is an associate professor of the Kazan Federal University. The artist’s works have occupied a worthy place in museums and private collections of Tatarstan, Russia and many countries of the world.
Rifkat Vakhitov is one of the leading masters of the fine arts of the Republic of Tatarstan. Since 1993 – a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, and Honored Artist of Tatarstan (2005). In February 2013, Rifkat Vakhitov received the title of People’s Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan.