Acclaimed Urban Sketch Artist Gene Bond Renounces Russian Citizenship and Becomes Taiwan Citizen

TAOYUAN, Taiwan - May 26, 2025 - PRLog -- Internationally acclaimed artist and illustrator Gene Bond, formerly Evgeny Bondarenko, has officially renounced his Russian citizenship and entered a new chapter as a proud citizen of Taiwan. The name change marks a turning point in both his personal journey and a decades-long career defined by precision, cultural insight, and visual storytelling.

Born in a small town in southern Russia, Bond trained in classical academic art at the Grekov Art College, absorbing plein-air traditions from the Russian Peredvizhniki. His disciplined foundation evolved into a unique method focused on clear observation, structured composition, and purposeful synthesis—now applied across urban sketching, illustration, mural work, and art education.

Over the past 15 years, Bond has sketched over 30 cities worldwide and exhibited in Taiwan, China, France, Turkey, and Hong Kong. He has completed major artist residencies, including the prestigious Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai. His work has been featured by SWATCH, China Airlines, Deutsche Welle, and Taiwan's Ministry of Culture.

His published urban sketchbooks—Shanghai Zen, Russia & France, Taiwan Sketchbooks, Daxi: Capturing the Essence of Taiwan, and 36 Views to Taipei 101—are praised for their intellectual clarity and emotional resonance. Beyond books, Bond is known for his large-scale murals using acrylic and markers—immersive compositions that combine multiple scenes into a unified vision. These murals appear in public parks, schools, and museums, including a prominent series for the Yunlin Storyhouse.

His YouTube channel, "Gene Bond Art" (https://www.youtube.com/@GeneBondArt), has become a hub for students and professionals learning perspective drawing and visual logic. Bond's lessons combine technical depth with accessible teaching, helping thousands not only draw better—but see more clearly.

In 2024, Bond formally revoked his Russian citizenship in protest of the regime's ideological extremism. Of Ukrainian and Jewish descent, he could no longer remain associated with a state system he views as aggressive and repressive. His adopted name, Gene Bond, symbolizes a personal and artistic choice: liberty, clarity, and integrity. That same year, he proudly became a citizen of Taiwan—a declaration of alignment with a free, civilized society and a creative future.

Bond is currently completing How to Draw Motorcycles, a rigorous and visually rich guide for illustrators. The book affirms his mastery in perspective and mechanical drawing and reinforces his status as both a practicing artist and respected educator.