(Left) Highly dramatic exhibition presenting three acts of extraordinary warriors in a rare moment of leisure by the riverbank.

(Center) Unusual character perspectives, whether through perspective or reverse perspective.

(Right) Warriors resting on the shore for a moment. Alexei Kallima "Sky Patrol" solo exhibition: displayed at Anne de Villepoix Gallery from December 15, 2007, to February 2. Alexei Kallima (born 1969) is one of the most representative young artists of contemporary Russia. His works were exhibited in two major group exhibitions of contemporary Russian art in Paris. Born in Chechnya and raised in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, he was forced to flee with his family to Moscow in 1994 when the First Chechen War for independence broke out. Being far from his homeland made him miss it more, and he cherished everything about Chechnya. Due to his Russian origin and his aversion to the suppression of the independence movement by the Russian army, he deliberately grew a long beard to show solidarity with the Muslim resistance fighters of Chechnya against this unjust war. Kallima completed his artistic education at Krasnodar University in the Caucasus. Under the training of Russian social realism and the characteristics of historical monument paintings, he possesses the sentiment of 19th-century Romanticism. With a rigorous foundation in drawing, he excels at depicting special, impossible angles and unusual perspectives, constructing all his warrior-heroes in extraordinary scenes, which has become the style of his artistic exploration. This unjust battle for Chechen independence has become the core of his overall creation. In his most complex, emotional, and dynamic forms, he presents this extraordinary story of resistance. Under the will to resist oppression and persecution, every move of the guerrilla fighters of the Islamic resistance in Chechnya, or even every blade of grass and tree on the battlefield, became the subject of Alexei Kallima's creation. The theme of this solo exhibition is "Sky Patrol." Upon entering the exhibition space, the charcoal sketch series immediately attracts attention. With wonderful lines, images, and changes in light and shadow, it presents various states of the Muslim warriors just emerging from the forest, preparing to fight, chase, hide, or rest. They are all young and strong, wearing Adidas sport jackets and smoking American brand cigarettes, vivid and lively like short dramas of battlefield life. The second room features large sketches (charcoal and colored pencils), uniquely depicting a paratrooper descending from the sky, just landing on the ground, collecting the huge white parachute in a dramatic scene. The third exhibition room is the most spectacular, with monumental works composed of three large red paintings. Highly dramatic, they present three acts of extraordinary warriors in a rare moment of leisure by the riverbank. Through unusual character perspectives (perspective or reverse perspective) and exquisite realistic techniques, on the left, a naked warrior stands on the shore while another swims freely in the water. In the center, two warriors are captured in the brilliant moment of leaping into the river under an excellent perspective viewpoint. On the right, fellow warriors on the shore help another comrade ashore, showing a rare moment of leisure enjoyed during war, hinting at a violent and cruel world through colors and objects. Finally, there are installations of warrior images and newspaper picture objects with lighting. When the lights go out, the warrior images appear under ultraviolet light, clearly pointing out the secret operations and guerrilla skills of the warriors.