Maxim Zhestkov

Maxim Zhestkov was born in Ulyanovsk, Russia in 1985. He started exploring digital illustration when he got his first computer ZX Spectrum at the age of 6.[1] His interest to visual communications brought him to the university, where Zhestkov studied architecture, graphic design and fine art [2]

In 2008, Zhestkov started publishing his video art works online and captured attention of global brands — his first collaborators were Sony, Nokia and MTV.[3][4][5] Later, he worked on projects for Adidas, Jimmy Choo, Hamilton Watch,[6] Sberbank,[7] MCM Worldwide [8] and others. In 2020, Maxim's work was used in the global launch of the PlayStation 5.[9]

Zhestkov's artworks are described as a visual representation of laws and patterns of nature in digital form.[10] Blog WePresent compares his abstract forms to real-world objects that evoke ‘feeling of a fridge door sucking closed [or] pouring vinegar into a pool of olive oil’. [11]

His films were featured in numerous design and motion graphics communities and other media: Vice,[12] Colossal,[13] Ignant,[14] Hypebeast,[15] Juxtapoz,[16] Booooooom,[17] Wired,[18] Boing Boing.[19][20]

• Hermitage Museum. St Petersburg, Russia, 2019. [21]
• EDITION hotel on Times Square. USA, 2019.[22]
• ON CANAL. New York, USA, 2019.[23]
• ArtFutura. UK, Spain, USA, Mexico, 2018.[24]
• San Francisco International Airport. USA, 2018.[25]
• Ars Electronica Animation Festival. Austria, 2018. [26]
• Athens Digital Arts Festival. Greece, 2018.[27]
• Center MARS. Russia, 2018.[28]
• Sapporo International Film Festival. Japan, 2016.[29]