MEIR AXELROD (1902 - 1970)
The work of Meir Axelrod provides a uniquely comprehensive and sensitive view of the life of Russian Jews
from the 1920s to the end of the 1960s. Born in a Byelorussian Jewish settlement, a survivor of pogroms, forced to leave his
home together with his family during the World War I, a student and later a teacher at the famous Vkhutemas and member of
the "4-Arts" Society, he exhibited his work throughout the world. Subjected to criticism, abuse, and neglected during the
years of triumphant socialist realism, Axelrod remained faithful to his main theme – Jewish life, Jewish spirituality: in
portraits, genre studies, Yiddish theater design, illustrations for Jewish classics and in compositions on the Holocaust
theme, the thought of which haunted him all his life.
Meir Axelrod was a very talented artist, but the conditions of creation and the orientation of art in the
Soviet Russia did not contribute to the recognition of his work in the west. His deep roots in Judaism influenced his
artistic creation – it was a natural step for Mayanot Gallery to present Axelrod's works on Russian Jewish life in the early
20th century.
Chronology
| 1902 |
Born July 18, Molodechno, Byelorussia. |
| 1921-28 |
Studied at VKHUTEMAS (Higher Art Technical Workshops Moscow), joined Four Arts Society.
|
| 1928-32 |
Taught drawing at VKHUTEMAS and Moscow Textile Institute. |
| 1930-31 |
Traveled to the Jewish agricultural commune “Voyo Novo” (New Way) in the Crimea.
|
| 1932-40 |
Joined the Moscow Union of Artists. Designed sets and costumes for GOSET (State Jewish
Theatre) in Moscow, Minsk and Kiev. |
| 1941-44 |
Evacuated to Alma-Ata. Created the “German Occupation” series, landscapes, and portraits.
Designed sets for Sholom-Aleichem’s “Enchanted Tailor” for the Ukrainian GOSET. |
| 1944-64 |
Returned to Moscow. Worked on illustrations, landscapes and portraits. |
| 1964-69 |
Created the “Ghetto” series. Portraits of writers, artists and actors. |
| 1966 |
Participated in a group exhibition in Moscow (Axelrod, Gorshman, and Labas). |
| 1968 |
Created “Remembering Old Minsk” series. |
| 1970 |
Died in Moscow on January 10th. |
|
 Posthumous
One-Person Exhibitions
| 1972-82 |
Retrospective exhibition in museums in Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi, Smolensk.
|
| 1989 |
Exhibition at the Jerusalem Artists’ House |
| 1995 |
Exhibition at the Yad Vashem Museum, Jerusalem |
| 1997 |
Exhibition at the Mayanot Gallery, Jerusalem; Exhibition at Hebrew Museum, Westphalia.
|
| 1998 |
Exhibition at the Museum of Russian Art, Ramat Gan |
| 1998 |
Jewish Museum, Dorsten, Germany. |
| 1999 |
Museum of Russian Art, Ramat-Gan, Israel |
| 2000 |
Museum Ein-Harod, Israel |
| 2001 |
Ben Ury Art gallery, London |
| 2002 |
Solyanka Art gallery, Moscow, Russia |
| 2005 |
Meir Axelrod Theater Designs, The Israel Goor Theater Archive and Museum Jerusalem |
| 2005 |
By The Shores of Black Sea, Jewish Farmers in the USSR, 1922-1941, Museum of Jewish
Diaspora, Ramat Aviv, Israel |
An exhibition was held at
Mayanot Gallery in 1997 and a catalogue
was published.
|
