ERNST NEIZVESTNY, born in Sverdlovsk, (Yekaterinburg) in the Ural Mountains in 1925, to a mother of aristocratic Spanish origins and a father raised in the Ural region. He studied philosophy at Moscow State University and continued his education at the Surikov Art Institute. In 1975, with the hel... Read more
ERNST NEIZVESTNY, born in Sverdlovsk, (Yekaterinburg) in the Ural Mountains in 1925, to a mother of aristocratic Spanish origins and a father raised in the Ural region. He studied philosophy at Moscow State University and continued his education at the Surikov Art Institute. In 1975, with the help of Henry Moore and an American committee assembled by Ted Kennedy, Neizvestny successfully immigrated to the United States. He taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities, and was selected to be a professor of Humane Studies at Oregon University. He is a member of Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, European Academy of Arts, Sciences and the Humanities in Paris and the Academy of Arts and Sciences in New York. Though not accepting the title of “dissident” artist, Neizvestny is a figure that stands as one of the most important nonconformist artists to flourish during the Soviet era in Russia. Recognized worldwide for his monumental sculptures, Neizvestny’s significance is embroidered in the turbulent history of 20th Century Russia. From winning national competitions, including top honors for “Victory”, a memorial commemorating Russia’s triumph over Nazi Germany, to his public confrontation with Nikita Khrushchev in 1962, defending the right for free expression, Neizvestny is a living symbol of creativity and social conscience. His figurative imagery is complex, emotional and unapologetic. The artist parallels mythology with the constant human struggle, and creates in bronze, stone and on canvas a synthesis of Machine and Man. Crossing languages and cultures, Neizvestny’s artistic achievements commemorate his vision of memory and truth, inviting his audience to respond and remember.
