Biography

Ilya Kabakov is a Ukrainian-born American Conceptual artist best known for his paintings, installations, and theoretical texts that would eventually spur the Moscow Conceptualism movement. His works evaluate and probe the differences and similarities between Soviet culture and capitalism, as they relate to his memories and notions of utopia. Born on September 30, 1933 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian Soviet Union, Kabakov studied at both the Moscow Art School and the V.I. Surikov State Art Institute in Moscow, where he learned graphic design and book illustration. He eventually became a member of the Union of Soviet Artists, which guaranteed him a studio, work, and a generous income by Soviet standards. In 1987, Kabakov began to travel abroad and ultimately settled in the United States. He went on to have the first exhibition of a living Russian artist at the Hermitage Museum in 2004, confirming his role as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Today, his works can be found in the collections of the Centre Pompidou in Beaubourg, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Norway Museum of Contemporary of Art in Oslo, among others. Kabakov lives and works in Long Island, NY