Michael and Inessa Garmash •

Michael Garmash was born in 1969 in Lugansk, Ukraine. •

He began painting at the age of three and by six started
his formal education at the Lugansk Youth Creative
Center. His works were sent by his teachers to a variety
of Exhibitions in Ukraine, Russia, Czechoslovakia and
Hungary. Michael received first prizes at several juried
Exhibitions, including the Lugansk Regional Juried
Exhibition—1977 (Best Poster), the Czechoslovakian
International Youth Competition—1978, and the
Hungarian International Art Competition of Circus
.Related Art—1978
In 1987, he graduated valedictorian from the Lugansk State Fine Art •
College and started teaching there the following year. From 1989 to
1991, he served in the army and in 1992 began studying at the St.
Petersburg Academy of Art. Michael graduated from this prestigious
.school five years later at the head of his class
During his student years, Michael started exhibiting in France, at •
galleries in such cities as Paris, St. Etienne, Avignon, Lion and
Marcel. Michael also took part in the annual Exhibitions in St.
Petersburg, Russia. In addition to painting, Michael has also
excelled in the creation of stained-glass windows and received an
honorary medal for his work in the Suvorov Military Museum in St.
.Petersburg
Inessa Kitaichik was born in 1972 in Lipetsk, Russia. Since early •
childhood she has excelled in ballet, gymnastics and music. Inessa
attended classes in all three disciplines and, after graduating from
music and ballet school, entered the Lugansk Fine Art School at age
fifteen. At seventeen she was accepted as that year's best
.undergraduate to the Lugansk State Fine Art School
 AN ART LOVE STORY •
During his stint in the army, Michael returned to his former school on a two-week •
vacation. The last day of his visit he met Inessa at a bus station; the next day Michael
didn't return to his division. Inessa woke that day to her image painted all around the
city surrounding her house—on the road, on the walls of buildings and the walls of her
apartment staircase. Michael had spent the night painting; he was arrested first by the
city police, then handed over to the army MP's, but he was not punished. (Even
military personnel can sympathize with true love!) One year later, Michael and Inessa
returned to the same bus station. Michael hung a bouquet of flowers on the station
sign to commemorate the place where they met; the beginning of their "at-first-glance"
.love story
In similar spontaneous fashion, the two began painting together. Several years after •
their marriage, Michael began a painting of their daughter for a project at school.
However, their two-year old found the painting during his absence and painted her
own version of the subject. Inessa, not wanting Michael to be upset, fixed the painting,
packed it up and gave it to him to submit. Michael handed the painting over for review
and was told it was his best work ever. He was surprised to see the "new" painting
.and immediately recognized his wife's hand
Since then, Michael and Inessa have worked together creating paintings, stained- •
glass windows, mosaics and drawings. They have exhibited in Sweden, France,
Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and Finland. They continue working with their daughter
.Polina as a model and occasionally include themselves in their compositions