Nico van der Endt about Pavel Leonov

PAVEL LEONOV BELONGS WITHOUT DOUBT TO THE GREAT MASTERS OF NAIVE ART OF THE twentieth century. He is to be considered the successor of the other great figure from Eastern Europe, Nico Pirosmani from Georgia. They share boldness in their painterly approach to depicting their world, they both draw from popular tradition, revitalizing the art from the people and lifting it into the sphere of great personal expressions that typify western modern art, putting them - and all naive art - on a par with intellectual art.

Like all naive artist, Leonov is a true story teller, departing from personal reality and getting carried away by his emotions into explaining how the world should be, an ideal play-ground for mankind, with elements from old and new times harmoniously mixed. Striking are his neat love for order and his acute chromatic sense. Using rough textiles and large sizes in which his urge to give a full account of his ideas becomes apparent, he succeeds in creating powerful images of universal value, recognized by all around the world who share the great dream of a happy world.

Nico van der Endt, Netherlands