Russian born Timur Akhriev attended middle school and high school at the St. Petersburg Art School. In 1991 he left the politically unstable region near his hometown of Ingushetia, near the border with Chechnya, to join his father, painter Daud Akhriev, in the United States.
He now resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he attended the University of Chattanooga Fine Arts program. From 2005 to 2007 he studied in Florence, Italy, for a year and a half at the Florence Academy of Art. You will find a number of scenes of Florence, particularly some wonderful depictions of the characteristic Florentine tile roofs, among the pieces in the galleries where he is represented.
Akhriev has a direct, painterly approach, honed by plein air painting, with a rich variety of textures, vibrant colors and a range of tonal effects. Many of his works are evocations of late afternoon or early evening light, in which foreground objects are often in shadow, and background elements illuminated by shafts of slanting sunlight.
He also frequently depicts landscapes on overcast or foggy days, with subtle color ranges and muted value contrasts.
