Rooted in a diverse visual culture shaped by modernist abstraction, scenography, and fashion, Northern Ossetia-born, Italy-based artist Akhsar Muriev builds a unique pictorial language marked by emotional intensity and symbolic depth. His work draws upon a rich spiritual and artistic heritage—from the sacred histories of early civilizations to the innovations of 20th-century pioneers such as Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, and Edvard Munch. Muriev’s approach to painting, bordering on abstraction, distills form into expressive essence. His bold use of color creates charged compositions that resonate with feeling, reflection, and inner motion.

Akhsar Muriev was born in Vladikavkaz, Northern Ossetia, in 1980. His passion for the visual arts was evident from an early age—by the age of six, the young prodigy had already begun to draw prolifically, as if foretelling his future path.

In 2004, he graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the Vladikavkaz Institute of Fashion and Design. Following his studies, Muriev remained at his alma mater, teaching and lecturing on academic courses in graphics, design, and composition.

His career in fashion began in 2005, when he took on senior creative roles focused on design and installation. Shortly thereafter, he met Luciano Benetton, founder of the Benetton Group and a prominent Italian art patron, who recognized Muriev’s talent and potential.

In 2013, Muriev expanded into the realm of performing arts, collaborating with Anton Levahin on scenographic and costume design. His projects in this field include collaborations with AJ Weissbard, Michael Sturminger, Andreas Donhauser, and Renate Martin, among others—merging visual design with narrative, movement, and stage space.

In 2017, while studying at the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Church at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome—one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of theological scholarship—Muriev participated in archaeological excavations at the Colosseum Archaeological Park, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill. His studies deepened his engagement with sacred history and the visual legacy of the early Christian church, inspiring new artistic explorations.

In Rome, Muriev devoted himself to the study of religious painting and the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, focusing particularly on the symbolic and aesthetic dimensions of early Christian visual culture. These inquiries enriched his artistic vision and informed a series of new works developed with his signature technique.

Muriev’s painting is characterized by a dense and dynamic expressiveness—his brushwork charged with energy, and his compositions marked by an instinctive use of vibrant, often contrasting color. This distinct approach makes his works immediately recognizable and invites the viewer into a space of reflection, emotion, and deep visual engagement.

His recent successes include a major solo exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Yerevan in 2024, titled Magnifique Voyage, ou L'Histoire d'un Homme. Curated by Anton Levahin, the exhibition marked the artist’s debut in Armenia and featured paintings created between 2023 and 2024. Among the highlights were large-scale canvases and triptychs such as Magnifique Voyage, Sunny Dance, Gruppo di Famiglia in un Interno, and Dynamic Composition in Three Parts.

Akhsar Muriev’s artworks are held in private and institutional collections across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.