Icon-Workshop

Interview with the renowned

icon painter Anthony Gunin

Anthony Gunin from Boston, USA,

coming to Bad Wörishofen to lead a

masterclass in icon painting.

 

​​

What brought you to Bad Wörishofen, Father Anthony?

Silke Weiß, an artist from Bad Wörishofen who has been involved in icon painting for several years, attended my master class in the High Tatras in Poland. During that time, she invited me to Bad Wörishofen because she wants to help revive this niche art form in Germany. I was very pleased about this, as I have friends in Germany and feel very at home here.

​​

What is your background, and where did you learn icon painting?

 I was born in 1971 in Voronezh (central Russia) into a family of architects. I took classes at an art studio from a young age, then studied at art school, the Voronezh Academy of Architecture, and St. Tikhon’s Theological University in Moscow. It was during this time that I began to familiarize myself with Byzantine iconography.

I  have now been intensively engaged in icon painting for over 30 years and, over the years, have developed my own style, which is based on the aesthetics of the so-called artists of the Palaiologos Renaissance. ­

Over time, I have completed major commissions for murals and portable icons in Russia, the U.S., and Europe.

 

​You are one of the finest icon painters of our time—what does your daily life look like?

My daily life is shaped by my priestly duties, by the many hours I devote to icon painting each day, and by a very lively family life with my four children and my wife.

So, as an Orthodox priest, you have a family? Yes, because I was already married before I was ordained as an Orthodox priest. In the Orthodox Church, there are different forms of the priesthood.

 

​What effect does icon painting have on you?

It’s about fully immersing yourself in the act of painting. In doing so, you enter a calm, meditative state. The peaceful atmosphere of the Dominican monastery and painting among like-minded people also contribute to this.

 

In an age where everything has to move quickly, this style of painting offers a counterbalance. It’s a way to slow down in an era of “fast food and fast art”—an era where art is often defined by self-promotion, sensationalism, and emptiness—and to return to honest, slow work with depth and a connection to a deeper meaning.

I spend weeks and months painting a single icon.

​

What is special about the technique you teach?

The transparent tempera technique—using egg, pigment, and real gold—is particularly well-suited to conveying the divine light that permeates the saints.

 

Do you travel a lot?

Yes… Due to numerous requests, I began holding master classes for interested participants in America and Europe. This is the first course in Germany, and I’m very excited to come to this beautiful spa town, Bad Wörishofen, to lead a 7-day workshop at the monastery.

 

What do you need to bring with you to learn this technique?

A love of painting, a little patience, and time, since you build up the image slowly, step by step and layer by layer. We’ll need 7 working days to complete the icon we’ll be painting in the workshop. You’ll also need the desire to build a relationship with the depiction of the saint, which naturally deepens as you engage with the image. Of course, it’s helpful if you already have some basic painting skills.

 

 

INFO/REGISTRATION:

Icon Workshop at the Dominican Monastery

Oct. 28–Nov. 3, 2026

For more information, contact Silke Weiß,

Phone: 0151 20687741

info@ateliersilkeweiss.de

 

​