Di Seaman

Contemporary artist

PRACTICE

My practice explores time as a material and transformation as a fundamental condition of existence.
Working with linen canvas, acrylic, oil, and real iron, I initiate processes in which natural oxidation becomes an active part of the artwork. Rather than controlling every stage of the image, I create conditions that allow matter to follow its own course.
Rust is not a symbol of decay but evidence of transformation. Iron does not disappear — it changes its state. Although each painting is sealed, the oxidation it embodies never truly ends, making every work part of a process rather than a fixed object.
Time cannot be seen directly, but it leaves traces. Through oxidation, those traces become visible. The surface records the interaction of material, duration, and natural forces.
Working with semi-abstraction, I avoid fixed narratives, leaving space for personal interpretation. My paintings do not represent change—they allow change itself to become visible.

SERIES

I. THE METAMORPHOSIS OF MATTER

Matter is never static. Through natural oxidation, these works explore transformation as a continuous process, revealing change as an essential property of the material itself.

II. EARTH MEMORY

Inspired by geological landscapes and deep time, this series considers the surface as a carrier of memory, where natural processes leave traces that extend beyond human history.

III. BEYOND THE HORIZON

These works move beyond familiar landscapes toward planetary space and invisible natural forces, exploring time on a scale that exceeds human perception.

IV. FACES

Portraits exploring identity through material transformation. Oxidation becomes part of the human image, suggesting that every life, like every material, exists through continuous change.

V. BESTIARY

These early works explore the emergence of recognizable forms through the natural process of oxidation. Zoomorphic and imaginary creatures gradually reveal themselves within the material. Following these evolving forms, the artist develops what is already inherent in the material, maintaining a delicate balance between natural processes, imagination, and artistic intention.

PROCESS

NATURE

Every work begins with an intention, but its development cannot be fully controlled. Natural processes remain active participants throughout the creation of each painting.
IRON

Real iron is applied directly onto linen canvas, becoming the material through which time leaves visible traces.
OXIDATION

Air, moisture, and time shape every surface differently. The oxidation process cannot be repeated, making each painting materially unique.
TIME

Time is not represented. It is physically embedded within the work through the traces left by natural transformation.

ABOUT

Di Seaman is a contemporary artist based in Saint Petersburg, Russia, born in 1987. He is a resident artist at Nebo Art Gallery. His artistic practice has developed through years of independent research, material experimentation, and close observation of natural processes, outside the framework of formal academic art education. Born and based in Saint Petersburg, Di Seaman has been influenced since childhood by two contrasting environments — the architectural landscape of the city and the natural surroundings of Chuvashia. This combination shaped his sensitivity to texture, natural processes, and transformations occurring over time. Years of working with architectural surfaces and decorative materials further developed the artist’s interest in materiality, structure, and the interaction between different mediums.
Today, Di Seaman’s practice exists at the intersection of abstract painting and process-based art. Working with linen canvas, acrylic, oil paint, and real iron, he creates works in which natural oxidation becomes an integral part of the artistic statement, allowing time itself to take material form.

Alongside painting, the artist works with pinhole photography and considers experimentation an essential part of his artistic practice.

EXHIBITIONS

2025

Terraforms. Solo exhibition. Svinoe Rylo Gallery
2025

2nd Chuvash Biennale of Contemporary Art
2024

Inside. Group exhibition. NEBO Art Gallery
2020

Retrospective of Childhood. Solo exhibition. Artmuza

CONTACT

+7 952 207 37 93
directordi87@gmail.com

For exhibitions, acquisitions, commissions, and collaborations, please get in touch by email or through social media.