CHRONOLOGY
| 1953 | Sergei Chepik was born in Kiev, the “Mother of Russian towns”, on June 24, on the feast of Saint John the Baptist. He is the son of the renowned painter Mikhail Chepik and the talented sculptress Ludmila Sabaneeva, both members of the Union of Artists of the USSR. |
| 1955 | He was baptized on June 26 in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Oster, a little city founded in 1098 not far from Kiev |
| 1961-1973 | Studied in Kiev at a secondary school specializing in arts and then two years at the city’s Shevchenko Art Institute. Chepik’s parents divorced. He was brought up by his mother, while often meeting his father who kept an eye on his progress in drawing and painting. |
| 1973-1978 | After his father’s death, Chepik left Kiev for good and was admitted to the Repin Art Institute in Leningrad (the former Academy of Fine Arts of Saint-Petersburg), from which he graduated with flying colours in 1978. Was admitted to the Union of Young Artists of the USSR. |
| 1978-1980 | Continued his studies at the Academy in Professor Mylnikov’s studio and worked on his first important works. Birth of his first son, Serguei, in 1979. He was brought up by Ludmila Sabaneeva, Chepik’s mother, who left her studio in Kiev and moved to Leningrad to settle close to her son and grandson. “Young Painters” exhibition, Manege, Leningrad (1978). National Exhibition of Diploma works, Manege, Leningrad and Moscow (1979). “Young painters” exhibition, Artists’ Union, Leningrad (1980). |
| 1981 | Prague Biennale. “Soviet Painting” exhibition, Tokyo. “Zone 1981” exhibition, Manege, Leningrad. National Exhibition of Young Soviet Painters, Tashkent. Became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. |
| 1982 | National Exhibition of Young Soviet Painters, Academy of Fine Arts, Moscow and Leningrad. “Russian Painting” exhibition, Osaka and Tokyo. “Petersburg-Leningrad” exhibition, Manege, Leningrad. |
| 1983 | National Exhibition of Portraits, Union of Artists, Moscow. |
| 1984 | National Exhibition of Young Soviet Painters, Academy of Fine Arts, Moscow and Leningrad. Exhibition “Soviet Painting Week”, Tokyo. |
| 1985 | First solo exhibition: “Russian Landscapes”, Union of Artists, Leningrad. “Soviet Painting” exhibition, Cologne. |
| 1986 | First solo and retrospective exhibition: “Paintings, graphics and ceramics”, Youth Palace, Leningrad. Met his future French wife, Marie-Aude Albert, on Easter night. |
| 1987 | The House of the Dead, his second masterpiece after Petrushka (1984-1986), was completed, but banned from being exhibited in Leningrad. |
| 1988 | Birth in Moscow of Chepik’s second son, Daniil. Chepik moved to Paris with the help of Marie-Aude Albert, who shares his life and work on Boulevard de Picpus in Paris. The House of the Dead (1979-1987) was awarded the Grand Prix at the Salon d’Automne in Paris and was bought by the Roy Miles Gallery in London, which opened to Chepik its exhibition space on Bruton Street. “Russian Paintings” exhibition, Roy Miles Gallery, London. |
| 1989 | The Tree (1982-1984) received the Monaco City Award at the Monte Carlo International Exhibition of Contemporary Art. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Musée du Luxembourg, Paris. “Russian Paintings”, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Chepik rents a studio on Rue du Cherche-Midi at the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. |
| 1990 | Solo and retrospective exhibition, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Chepik received public acclaim and the exhibition was a sell-out. The Daily Telegraph wrote : “An unknown Russian genius has come to light”. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher congratulated Chepik at the House of Commons. |
| 1991 | Solo exhibition of watercolours, “Travels through France”, Roy Miles Gallery, London. “Russian Art 1930-1990” exhibition, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Chepik brought his mother Ludmila and son Serguei from the Soviet Union and installed them close by his new studio on Rue Caulaincourt in Paris. |
| 1992 | Chepik married Marie-Aude Albert. Salon d’Automne, Grand Palais, Paris: Chepik became a “member of the Salon d’Automne”. |
| 1993 | Major solo exhibition, “New Works”, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Solo retrospective exhibition, Salon de l’Ecole Française, Château de Croissy, Croissy-sur-Seine, France. Solo retrospective exhibition, Prieuré Saint-Maurice, Senlis, France. Paints the portrait of Baroness Margaret Thatcher and finishes that of Rudolf Nureyev (whom he met in 1991). Salon d’Automne, Grand Palais, Paris. “Christmas Show” exhibition, Roy Miles Gallery, London. |
| 1994 | Major solo exhibition, “Recent Works”, Roy Miles Gallery, London. In disagreement with the policies of the Salon d’Automne, Chepik quit. |
| 1995 | Major solo exhibition, “New Works”, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Publication and presentation in London of a first monograph : Sergei Chepik, Works, 1970-1994, by Marie-Aude Albert. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Chapel of Saint-Léonard, Croissy, France. |
| 1996 | Solo exhibition of watercolours, Roy Miles Gallery, London. Solo exhibition of graphic works, Galerie Guiter, Paris. “Hommage au nu” exhibition, Galerie Guiter, Paris. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Chapel of Saint-Léonard, Croissy. |
| 1997 | Solo exhibition, Galerie Guiter, Paris. Last solo exhibition at the Roy Miles Gallery in London. |
| 1998 | Major solo exhibition, “New works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. |
| 1999 | Solo exhibition, “Golgotha”, The Catto Gallery, Cork Street, Mayfair, London. Golgotha is then exhibited at St John’s Church in Hampstead. Solo exhibition, “Golgotha”, at the Château de Gruyères in Switzerland. Major solo exhibition, “New works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. Retrospective exhibition at the Russian Embassy in London with the 1999 masterpiece Russia Crucified. |
| 2000 | Major solo exhibition, “Chepik in Venice”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. Solo exhibition, Salon de l’Ecole Française, Chapel of Saint-Léonard, Croissy. |
| 2001 | Major solo exhibition, “Chepik’s Moulin Rouge”, The Catto Gallery, Cork Street, London. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Chapel of Saint-Léonard, Croissy. |
| 2002 | Major solo exhibition, “Shows”, Galerie Popoff et Cie, rue du Fbg St Honoré, Paris. “Parfum de Femmes” exhibition, Manège, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. On April 24, Chepik had a stroke and was found paralysed and aphasic at his home in Paris, but immediately made a miraculous recovery. A few days after he visited the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, Chepik was invited to exhibit his Golgotha at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Russia Crucified is exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris, to which Chepik returned, but without being a member. A project for St Paul’s Cathedral in London was discussed with the Dean, the Very Revd Dr. John Moses and Chepik began to work immediately on sketches for 4 large panels illustrating the Life and Passion of Christ. |
| 2003 | Solo retrospective exhibition, “Works: 1991-2003”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Chapel of Saint-Léonard, Croissy. After the sketches had been accepted by the Dean and Chapter, Chepik started to paint The Virgin Mary (or The Nativity) (165 X 240 cm) and The Resurrection (165 X 240 cm), which were completed by December. The Apocalypse of St John is exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. |
| 2004 | Chepik painted The Public Life of Christ (430 X 240 cm) and The Passion (430 x 240 cm), which were completed by December. Major retrospective solo exhibition, “War and Peace”, Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris. “Masques et Miroirs” exhibition, Manège, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Church of the Madeleine, Paris. |
| 2005 | Inauguration on January 24 for the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul of the completed quadriptych composition entitled I am The Way, The Truth and The Life by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in the presence of Baroness Thatcher. Solo exhibition, “New Works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. Salon de l’Ecole Française, Church of the Madeleine, Paris. |
| 2006 | Solo exhibition, “New works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. Publication and presentation in London of a second monograph: Sergei Chepik: From Red Square to the Moulin Rouge, works 1994-2001, by Marie-Aude Albert. Creation of 40 illustrations for Bulgakov’s novel, The White Guard. |
| 2007 | New cycle of religious paintings: The Redemption, The Last Supper. |
| 2008 | Solo exhibition of religious works, “Epifania”, French Cultural Centre, Milan. The Last Supper was exhibited for the first time. Solo exhibition, “Tauromachie”, Chapel of Saint-Anne, Arles, France. Publication by Vita Nova Publishers in Petersburg of The White Guard with Chepik’s illustrations. 40 lithographs of The White Guard were exhibited at the Mikhail Bulgakov Museum in Moscow. Publication of a third monograph: Epiphania, the religious paintings of Sergei Chepik, by Sergei Chepik and Marie-Aude Albert. Solo exhibition, “New Works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. A tragedy for Chepik: after Dr Moses retired, the new Dean decided to remove The Way, The Truth and The Life from St Paul’s Cathedral. Chepik spoke to nobody of his internal suffering. However, with this “descent into the grave” of his unquestionable masterpiece, which was kept in a London warehouse, his vital spark and spirit was broken. His health began to decline and within three years, Chepik physically became like an old man. |
| 2009 | Solo exhibition, “La Feria”, Galerie Arte Viva, Paris-Levallois. Solo exhibition, “Bulgakov’s White Guard”, Springfield University, USA. Solo exhibition, “New Works”, The Catto Gallery, Hampstead, London. |
| 2010 | “Homo Sum” exhibition, Slavinsky Art Gallery, Saint-Petersburg. Solo exhibition, “Religious works”, Notre-Dame Church, Auvers-sur-Oise. Solo exhibition, “Paris is a Feast”, Paris Exclusive Gallery, Paris. |
| 2011 | Solo exhibition, “Walking in Paris”, Galerie Arte Viva, Paris-Levallois. Solo exhibition “Epiphania”, Atrium, rue des Saints-Pères, Paris. Publication by Sergei Chepik and Marie-Aude Albert of a fourth book Chepik, The White Guard of Bulgakov with the 40 drawings for the Russian writer’s novel. On October 16, his wife’s birthday, Chepik painted his final work—The Portrait of Marie-Aude Albert at her Desk. On November 10, his new and very last solo exhibition opened triumphantly at Catto Gallery in London. November 18: on the feast of the Dedication of Saint Peter’s and Saint Paul’s Basilicas (which is also the feast of Saint Aude), Chepik, exhausted both physically and morally, had an heart attack and committed his soul to God in his Montmartre studio. His funeral was held in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky in Paris in the presence of about 300 people. After the Christian ceremony, he was buried the same day in Montmartre Cemetery just a few steps from the grave of the famous French actor, Louis Jouvet. |