One of the Strip’s most enduring assets in the art world is international superstar artist Vladimir Kush, who has galleries at both Caesars Palace and Planet Hollywood.

“I enjoy being in Las Vegas because the city has the biggest concentration of cultural diversity in the United States,” says Kush, who was born and raised in Moscow, and also has galleries in Laguna Beach, Calif. and Hawaii. “Art is present all across the strip and has become an attraction on its own, and I am glad to be part of it.”

Kush is a talented painter, sculptor and jeweller, and all three styles of his work are on display at both galleries. Born in a one-story wooden house near the Moscow Forest Park Sokolniki, by the age of seven Kush began to attend art school where his school days lasted well into the night. It was here where he became acquainted with the works of great artists of the Renaissance, famous Impressionists and modern artists.

“With my father being a writer, I was drawing in his lap by the time I was three years old,” says Kush. “My great-grandmother went to an Academy and became an artist, so a lot of it is in my blood.”

Kush entered the Moscow Higher Art and Craft school at age 17, but a year later he was assigned to mandatory Russian military training. After six months of military training, the unit commander thought it was more appropriate to employ Kush exclusively for peaceful purposes, which mainly consisted of painting propagandistic posters.

Upon graduating from the Institute of Fine Arts and completing military service, Kush painted portraits on Arbat Street in Moscow to support his family during the unstable economic times in Russia.

“I grew up in a very modest environment with limited access to art materials,” says Kush. “My first paintbrushes were like rat tails, so I had to try to master the art form without all of the proper tools.”

Living the American Dream

By 1987 Kush began to take part in exhibitions across Europe. In a 1990 show in Germany, nearly all of his display paintings were sold and the interest he drew led him to his first trip to the United States. His first U.S. exhibition was in Los Angeles where 20 of his works were showcased.

“As soon as I came to this country I knew I wanted to stay and call it home,” says Kush, who was based in Hawaii by the early 1990s. “My style has developed since I left Russia and I am definitely not the same artist that I was back there. I am very happy to be a Russian artist, and I am just as happy to be living the American dream.”

The foundation of Kush’s dream is through his paintings, which use heavy visual symbolism and metaphors for life, relationships and nature. Common themes include the relationships between men and women, the relationship between humankind and earth, theology and the animal kingdom.

“A lot of people come to our Las Vegas galleries as a destination,” says Kush. “Having been in the Las Vegas art scene for nearly a decade I definitely consider myself a contributor to the cultural image of Las Vegas. I believe my artwork stays fresh because I still have the joy of creation and the delight of learning, and hopefully it shows in my work.”

Kush’s gallery at Caesars Palace hosts many events, a completely unique concept from other art galleries on the strip. They have hosted musical acts, VIP groups, art discussions, and spoken word and poetry readings that a company Kush’s artwork.

“It has been a constant challenge to develop as an artist, and it is a challenge that I enjoy,” says Kush. “The quality of my work became quantity because I work a lot. The secret of craftsmanship is hard labour, it is not about aspiration, it is about perspiration. I owe 95 per cent of my success in art to the methodical effort, only five per cent is talent.”

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