Roman Manikhin (b. 1977, Moscow, Russia) is a sculptor working primarily with found wood, currently based in Berlin. He studied Fine Art at Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry. His work explores themes of love for life, human connection, and the quiet comedy of everyday experience — often drawn from personal and imagined family stories. With humor and tenderness, he reflects on the artist’s inner world, aging, and the shifting values of a globalized society. Carved mainly with a chainsaw from reclaimed urban timber, his sculptures give new life to what was once discarded. The forms echo folk traditions, myths, and cultural archetypes, often with ironic or surreal twists. People, animals, trees, cities, and subcultures coexist within a poetic, accessible visual language. For Manikhin, art is both joy and resistance — a deeply personal act of survival and care, a way to open space for light, tenderness, mystery, and play in a world that needs it.
Solo exhibitons included Whisper of Sommer, Copenhagen, Denmark (2025); Day and Night of Paradise, Seoul, South Korea (2022); Following the Waves, Moscow, Russia (2021); Vacation Romance, Moscow, Russia (2021); Foreplay, Tokyo, Japan (2019); Playing Cards, Moscow, Russia (2019); Summer Is Here, Moscow, Russia (2019); Herring in a Coat, Aarhus, Denmark (2018).
Group exhibitions included UVNT Art Fair (with GÄRNA Gallery), Madrid, Spain (2025); CONJUNCTION, Hamburg, Germany (2025); PAINTING, SMOKING, EATING (curated by Beers London), London, United Kingdom (2024); JUNG & SCHÖN, Hamburg, Germany (2024); FABRIK – 50 Years of Berlin-Based Pop-Art, Berlin, Germany (2023); WHAAM, Berlin, Germany (2023); BAAM Paper Edition, Berlin, Germany (2023); Berlin Ventures: Volume II, Berlin, Germany (2023); Time Is Running Out, Berlin, Germany (2023); BAAM #06, Berlin, Germany (2023); A Midnight’s Dance, Seoul, South Korea (2023); HAAM #1, Hamburg, Germany (2023); Was Macht Macht, Hamburg, Germany (2023); LUSH, New York, USA (2023); 2 of a Kind, Australia (2023); Art Busan ’23 (with LUV Contemporary Art), Seoul, South Korea (2023); DIAF ’22 (with LUV Contemporary Art), Seoul, South Korea (2022); 10 Jahre Jubiläum, Berlin, Germany (2022); Christmas Show ’22, Odense, Denmark (2022); Cosmoscow (with Lazy Mike Gallery), Moscow, Russia (2020); May a Lucky Star Shine Upon You, Moscow, Russia (2019); Funny Carousel, Moscow, Russia (2019); Green Kids Limpopo, Moscow, Russia (2019); XMAS ’18, Copenhagen, Denmark (2018); Circus Circus Circus, Moscow, Russia (2018); Miami Art Basel 2017 (with In Heroes We Trust), Miami, USA (2017); Ha-ha-ha Moscow, Moscow, Russia (2017).