Pavel Leonov, a self-taught artist, was born in Orel, Russia, and fled to Ukraine at 16 to escape an abusive household. He supported himself by working in factories during the day while meticulously teaching himself to draw from a manual at night. Between 1936 and 1955, his strong sense of justice and inquisitive mind led to frequent stints in labor camps, as the Soviet regimes did not favor these qualities.Leonov's artwork primarily focuses on architectural forms. His canvases are characteristically organized in a grid-like pattern, where elements of nature provide a focal point for the numerous village scenes he portrays. The compositions evoke the intricate detail of a woven Persian rug. His work is structured not as a single visual plane but as a complex interplay of horizontal and vertical segments.Despite gaining international recognition, Leonov ironically faces dismissive opinions from his fellow countrymen, who consider him a fool. Unperturbed by this, Leonov continues his artistic journey, fueled by his enduring vision of life as a joyful and wonderful experience.