Evgeni Afanasevich Pikalov was born in 1935. He studied at Krasnodar Art College and now lives and works in Kislovodsk, Stavropol territory.

Pikalov traveled extensively and painted many studies and landscapes on his travels. He is a member of the Artists’ Union of Russia. He has been elected twice to the governing board of the Stavropol branch of the Union. He also headed the department in charge of work with young artists.

In 1964 he participated in the regional exhibition, “The Soviet South”. After his acceptance into the Artists’ Union, he worked with a greater fervor, painting landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and creating several major works. He was not confined to any specific theme or genre; he was fascinated by all aspects of life and contrived to paint these into his works. In the regional and republic exhibits in 1967 and in the 1970s he presented a number of interesting works, which furthered his artistic growth and increasing artistry.

While in his major paintings Pikalov prefers dynamic composition, he is much more reserved in his portraits, portraying his subjects in the state of peace and inner concentration. He strives to highlight the human dignity and beauty of the soul of the working man. He presents his subjects as true owners of the land who realize the value and importance of farm labor, strong Soviet sentiments.