Johnny Stuart (author)

John Spencer Innes Stuart, known as Johnny Stuart (20 May 1940 – 12 July 2003), was a Scottish author, art collector and expert on Russian icons and Russian art who was also known for his interest in the British motorcycling rocker movement and even published a book on the subject.

While in the Soviet Union, Stuart studied with the legendary icon painter and restorer, Adolphe Ovtchinikov at the Grabar Art Conservation Centre.

His knowledge of British youth culture made him a guru for actors and pop stars including the Rolling Stones, Oliver Tobias, George Michael, Gary Numan, Billy Idol, Brian Setzer, Paul Simonon and Kylie Minogue, many of whom he befriended.

As Yanni Petsopoulos, the owner of AXIA recollected, Johnny Stuart was very fond of religious Byzantine and Russian art, and even travelled to Mount Athos, in order to understand better the Orthodox spiritual tradition.

Stuart bequeathed the draft of his book Icons, The Triumph of Orthodoxy, to the owner of AXIA.