Hello, my name is Dmitry Afremov. Most people know me as the son of the artist Leonid Afremov. That is true, but it is far from the only thing I have done in my life. I am turning 49 soon, and I have spent nearly my entire life in the art business. Over the years, I have sold more than 4 million paintings and probably over 12 million prints, posters, and giclées—almost all of them online, primarily through my own website, Afremov.com.
Do I consider that an achievement? Probably. But this article is not about me or my success. It is about AI.
More specifically, it is about why I am not afraid of artificial intelligence in art. In fact, I believe that in our case, AI saved hundreds of artists and helped create something that would have been impossible without it. After my father’s death nearly seven years ago, I faced a serious challenge. He left behind thousands of images, an enormous catalog of reproductions, and a studio full of artists who had spent years creating authorized hand-painted versions of his work. Many people do not know this, but we have always sold high-quality hand-painted reproductions of Leonid Afremov’s paintings, created by artists who had worked with us for decades. The real problem, however, was something else.
The more reproductions we sold, the more I realized we were slowly diluting the value of the originals. At the same time, customer demand began to shift after my father’s passing. One day, I gathered our artists and told them:
“Guys, you are artists. Most of you have twenty years of experience and formal art education. Let’s create something of your own.” I bought canvases, gave them time and freedom, and then I waited.
A video of the Afremov studio artist painting a copy:
That is when I realized we had a problem. Artists who had spent their entire careers mastering a single artistic language were not always able to invent completely original concepts from scratch. Again and again, they returned to what they knew best—variations of Leonid Afremov’s style. I took them to exhibitions, sent them out to paint from life, and encouraged them to experiment. But the results remained largely the same. Then something happened that completely changed my view of artificial intelligence.
One day, developers from a university research team approached me. They were working on an image-generation system—this was long before ChatGPT or the global AI boom. They asked me to test their technology. Honestly, I did not expect much. I had seen plenty of software that promised a revolution and delivered little more than garbage. But this time was different. The AI did not generate finished paintings or works of art. It generated concepts. It analyzed vast numbers of images, studied composition, color palettes, and popular themes. Then suggested ideas that many artists would never have discovered on their own.
When I showed these concepts to our artists, something remarkable happened. They became more alive. Where an artist once might have spent an entire week staring at a blank canvas, now they had ten, twenty, or fifty possibilities to explore. They could combine ideas, modify them, and create something entirely new. That is when I understood something important: AI does not replace the artist—it removes the fear of the blank canvas. Many people who have never worked creatively do not realize how difficult it is to come up with a compelling concept. Learning to paint is one thing; creating a story, a strong composition, and a unique atmosphere is another. For many artists, it is the hardest part. AI became not a competitor, but a creative partner.
Pictures created by hand based in AI images:
- 2.jpeg (139.97 KiB) Viewed 44849 times
- 1.jpg (230.17 KiB) Viewed 44849 times
Today, every artist in our company has their own unique style. Our AI understands that style—it recognizes their preferred colors, themes, and strongest compositions. The system suggests ideas, and that is where the real work begins: on the canvas, with paint, palette knife, and brushes. Human hands. Human mistakes. Human emotions. Everything that makes art truly art. When we publicly explained that we use AI to generate new concepts, the controversy started. Critics, experts, and online commentators accused us of destroying art, deception, and cheating. “Real artists don’t work this way,” they said.
I have always found this reaction strange. People seem to believe artists have worked the same way for hundreds of years. They have not. They have always adapted, changed and innovated. Artists once painted directly from life. Then came photography, computers, Photoshop, and the internet. Each time, people declared, “That’s it—real art is dead.” And yet, art survived. The truth is simple: people confuse the tool with the artist. When photography appeared, talented artists remained talented artists. The same happened with Photoshop and the internet. The tool changes. The human beings do not.
AI can suggest a thousand ideas. But choosing the right one, interpreting it, and turning it into a real painting is still a deeply human decision. That is why I do not believe AI will replace all artists. It may replace some, just as the internet replaced certain professions and automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages. However, true artists are not going anywhere. In fact, I believe their value will only increase. The more artificial and sterile content surrounds us, the more people will appreciate something real. Human imperfections become beautiful. Human stories become valuable. Human emotions become unique. That is why I do not worry about the future of art. I worry about the people who refuse to adapt. Technology never asks for permission—it simply arrives. You either learn to use it, or someone else will use it instead of you.
For us, the choice was obvious. We decided not to fight the future. We decided to embrace it. And today, because of that decision, hundreds of artists continue doing what they love—not instead of humans, but alongside them. People sometimes ask me, “Dmitry, what do you think will happen in ten years?” Honestly, I have no idea. But I can make a guess. I think we will look back and laugh at today’s debates about AI, just as we now laugh at early fears of the internet. Within a few years, AI-powered printers may apply real paint to canvas, imitating brushstrokes, oil textures, and palette-knife techniques so well that most people won’t be able to tell the difference. And you know what? That is perfectly fine. Most buyers never purchased a painting because of the brushstroke. They bought it because it made them feel something, because it fit their home, or because it made a room more beautiful.
At the same time, genuine artists—those with something original to say—will become even more valuable. When I look at my father’s greatest paintings, I do not see paint. I see him. I see his personality, his mood, and a man who is no longer here. That is why I will never believe that art will disappear. Art has evolved for thousands of years. Tools, materials, styles, and technologies have all changed, but humanity’s desire to create something beautiful has remained constant.
I view AI with optimism—not because I think it is perfect, but because I have already lived through multiple technological revolutions. Each one frightened people at first, then became an ordinary tool. Today, AI is exactly that for us: like a brush, like a camera, like Photoshop, like the internet. We use it every day. We do not hide it. We are not embarrassed by it. And we have no intention of abandoning it. Because the future cannot be stopped. But it can be used. And if technology helps artists create more, earn more, and continue doing what they love, then in my view, it makes the world a slightly better place The rest, as always, will be decided by time.
Links to our social media profiles
https://www.facebook.com/leonidafremovofficialpage/
https://x.com/afremovartcom
https://www.instagram.com/afremov?utm_s ... c0MzIxNw==
https://www.youtube.com/@afremovgallery
https://www.tiktok.com/@afremovartstudi ... _device=pc