Usto Mumin (Alexander V. Nikolaev)

August 30, 1897 - June 27, 1957

Painter, graphic artist

Studied in Sumy near Poltava Cadet Corps (1908-1916), then - in the case Ulanski in Tver (1916-1917). In 1918, visited the studio of artist A. Buchkuri in Voronezh. In 1919 worked in Moscow in the 2-State free art workshops for Malevich.

In the same year mobilized to the front. After demobilization in 1920, was sent to Tashkent on the mandate of the commission Turkestan Central Executive Committee to strengthen and develop culture and art of Central Asia. Engaged in the study of folk crafts and traditions of the East. In Tashkent, converted to Islam under the name Usto-Mumin (The Master).

In his works went through a fascination Suprematism (late 1910-s - early 1920), in mid-1920's turned to figurative painting. Been influenced by the traditional Central Asian art: the portrait miniature ornament. He painted landscapes, portraits and genre scenes. In the second half of 1930 worked as chief designer of the pavilion of Uzbekistan on VSHV. In 1938 arrested but soon released. One of the initiators of the Uygur Theater (1943, awarded a certificate of honor CEC of the Uzbek SSR).

devoted to works in the exhibition "Old Samarkand" in Samarkand (1924, with VI Ufimtsev), an art exhibition in Astrakhan (1924), Jubilee exhibition of art of the USSR in Moscow ( 1927), 1-st exhibition of paintings of the Tashkent branch of AHRR in Tashkent (1928) and others.

in 2006 in Tashkent hosted a retrospective exhibition of the artist.

Works Usto-Mumin are a number of museum collections, including the State Museum of Oriental Art, State Tretyakov Gallery, Karakalpak State Museum of Arts. Savitskiy in Nukus, the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan in Tashkent and other.