Contact:
John Dunne
External Relations Associate
612-821-9045
jdunne@tmora.org

Eva Levina-Rozengolts: Reflections on a Siberian Exile

OPENING FEBRUARY 8, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (January 28, 2014)-- The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) presents in its Lower Gallery, Eva Levina-Rozengolts: Reflections on a Siberian Exile, an

exhibition of forty-four works on paper created after the artists return from exile in Siberia in 1956. Her postexile works articulate the trauma of Stalinist repression in a striking visual language. Arranged into several series, Trees, People, Marshes, Landscapes, and Sky, these remarkable pastels and ink drawings express the artists experience and philosophy of life through a powerful imagery worthy of Dantes Inferno.

The art of Eva Levina-Rozengolts (1898 1975) occupies a unique place in 20th century Russian art. Renowned non-conformist artist, Erik Bulatov wrote about her, In my view, no other Russian artist has spoken with such force about the tragedy of our time. Trained at the celebrated VkHuTeMas, the hub of early Soviet avant-garde, Eva was a student of Robert Falk, one of the founders and participants of the famous Jack of Diamonds artist associations. Rozengolts launched a successful career as a textile designer. In the late 1930s, the arrest and execution of her brother, a prominent Soviet and Communist leader, changed the course of her life. She lost her job and began to work at the Soviet Artists Unions production studios, making copies of Soviet-themed paintings. Eva Levina-Rozengolts was arrested in 1949 and sentenced to ten years of exile in Siberia as a socially dangerous element. She lived on the Yenisei River, Krasnoyarsk region, moving from one place to another in search of employment. She worked as a woodcutter, wall painter, and later medical assistant. After Stalins death, she was able to move to Karaganda, Kazakhstan region, where she was hired as a set designer at a local theater. Upon her return from exile, she resumed her artistic endeavor, undeterred by age and failing health. In fact, it was after her return, that her talent came into its own. Unknown to the broad public, her work attracted the attention of the new generation of non-conformist artists that emerged in the late 1950s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Eva Levina-Rozengolts became recognized as one of the significant artists of the mid-Soviet era.

The works in this exhibition are drawn from the private collection of Joan Afferica, L. Clark Seelye Professor of History at Smith College. The exhibition is presented as part of the Discovering 20th Century Russian Masters series.

The exhibition is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota.

Eva Levina-Rozengolts: Reflections on a Siberian Exile is on view through June 22, 2014.

High-resolution images available upon request.

About The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

The Museum of Russian Art, a non-profit, educational institution, is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the preservation and exhibition of all forms of Russian art and artifacts from many eras. TMORA is located in a state-of-the-art, historical building at 5500 Stevens Ave. S. (intersection of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road) in Minneapolis. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday-Friday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturday) and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday). Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), $5 for children 14 and up, as well as university students with ID; children under 14 are free. Museum members receive free admission. To learn more about the Museums exhibitions, events and history, visit http://tmora.org/ or call 612-821-9045.

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