Collection: Aleksei Sakharov, visual artist

Artist featured by Art Gallery The One in a collection.

Aleksei Sakharov (1985) is a Portuguese artist of Russian origin who works under the pseudonym @JUST PAINTING LIFE. He has been dedicated to painting for more than 20 years and has lived in Portugal since 2019, where he focuses on abstract painting and artistic experimentation, combining elements of art, psychology, and his personal philosophy of life.

Although he does not have a classical artistic education—he holds a Master’s degree in Social Pedagogy—his more than 15 years of experience working in international organizations such as the Red Cross and the UN Youth Council in Russia has influenced his creative vision.

His work explores how subtle internal impulses shape our life choices and directions. Through a daily painting practice, he creates unique visual “archives” that record conscious and unconscious states over periods ranging from weeks to a year. He works with materials such as water-based enamel, acrylics, varnish, and natural elements, often applying them with a syringe and needle instead of a brush to build organic, multilayered surfaces.

For Sakharov, painting is a way to slow down time and observe inner states. His works invite viewers and collectors to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their own inner processes, encouraging a more conscious path toward authenticity and inner freedom.