All rights reserved.
Irene Sheri Bio
Toll Free ( 877) 293- 1388                 info@blackpearlfineart.com

                                    Irene Sheri was born in the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky,
                                    Ukraine in 1968. Her mother was Bulgarian, father French.
                                    Her art career started when Irene's older brother Vasily,
                                    then 9, was given as a birthday present a set of paints.
                                    Irene was told NOT TO TOUCH THEM! Those paints
                                    became an object of desire for her, almost an obsession.
                                    She stole them, mixed them, painted on paper, walls,
                                    on her dress and on the bodies of her friends.
                                    She was 4 years old.  

At age 9, with thousands of paintings behind her, Ms. Sheri started her art classes at the
Belgorod Art School for gifted children, and at age 15 graduated valedictorian both from
her junior high and art school.  

Rather than going to High School like most teenagers, Ms. Sheri entered Grecov
College of Art in the city of Odessa, Ukraine.During her first year in college, she entered
and won "Young Artist of the year" at citywide juried exhibition. In all, Ms. Sheri entered
and won fourteen juried exhibitions, and at the end of her second year, received a
special "excellence in art" award from the Mayor.

At age seventeen, Ms. Sheri was accepted into the prestigious Serov School of Fine Art
in St Petersburg, Russia. All paintings and sketches that she created during her three
years of study at the college are now used by the faculty as samples of brilliant
academic achievement.

In 1988, a year after she moved to St Petersburg, Ms. Sheri was enrolled in a summer
practice at the Museum of Wooden Architecture.On the last day of the practice,
all of the students went to the museum to show their work to the public before delivering
them to their school for grading. The museum curator told tourists that they could
purchase any students' work they liked.An hour later, all twelve of Ms.
Sheri’s pieces were gone.Not one piece by the other students was purchased.
Angry and envious, they told Ms. Sheri that she was supposed to turn her twelve
paintings in to her professor, and that the money she earned will certainly be the last
she would ever make.  Two days later Irene submitted twelve more paintings and was
the only student to receive an "A" for this practice.  

In 1990, Ms. Sheri graduated valedictorian from the Serov College and was asked to
stay at the School of Fine Art to teach gifted children.She received an apartment for her
outstanding achievement and a studio to work in. Two years later, she entered one of
the most prestigious art schools in the world, the St Petersburg Academy of Art.

Her graduation artwork was accepted into the permanent collection at the Museum of
Academy Art, and a year later, the same painting, "Early snow" (78" x 80") received the
highest honor an artist can receive in Russia, the "Russian State Award for Outstanding
achievement in Art or Entertainment."   
Ms. Sheri’s works are now in the collections of such prominent collectors as musician
Mstislav Rastropovich, ex-St Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, oil tycoon Leo
Vaisberg, just to name a few.  

Most recently, Ms. Sheri was invited to take part in an all-Russian juried exhibition,
"Youth of Russia," and again, she received first prize and special commendations.
Her artwork is sold and presented by galleries and dealers in France, Italy, Germany,
Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, and the US.  
Mr. Sheri has a daughter, age 12, who is already showing early signs of a very talented
artist.