Ernst Isopovich NEIZVESTNY
1925, Russia/USA

Russian Artist, sculptor, drawer and arts theoretic. Participant of World War II, badly wounded and demobilized in 1945. Studied at the Riga Academy of Arts (1946-1947) and the Surikov Moscow State Institute of Arts (1947-1954), attending simultaneously the studies at the Philosophy Faculty of the Moscow State University.
Executed significant official orders: Monument in honor of the friendship between the peoples/ so called ‘Lotus flower’ in the Aswan damp in Egypt (1971); decorative relieves for the Electronics Institute in Zelenograd (1974) and former building of the Central Commettee of the CPSU in Ashkhabad (actually, the Turkmenistan Government Residence, 1975), grave monument for N.S. Khrushev (1974).
Worked at the field of the book graphics – illustrated the novel ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Dostoevsky.
Simultaneously since 1956 was working under the idea of his program work – gigantic environment-sculpture ‘Tree of the Life’. Emigrated for the United States in 1976. Since 1962 was writing theoretical articles and reading lectures, publishing blank verses, figuratively commenting his work.
Since 1989 often comes to Russia, where has been erected the monument to the victims of GULAG in Magadan (1996), made by his project, as well as the composition called ‘Renaissance’ in Moscow (2000).

In 1996 was awarded with the State Premium. The Artist’s works are kept at the State Trtiakov Gallery and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. In Sweden (Uttersberg) there is a Museum called ‘Tree of the Life’, dedicated to the works of Ernst Neizvestny.

Source: http://sovcom.ru/index.php?category=painters&painterstype=painter&painter=127