One of the central themes of Ilya Kabakov ‘s work is Soviet communal apartments, with the unsightly life of which he introduced Western society. What was Kabakov’s path to worldwide fame and how did he conquer art connoisseurs in Europe, the USA and Japan?

The creative path of Ilya Kabakov in the USSR

The future master graduated from the institute with a specialization in book illustration. For the next 30 years, the design of books and children’s magazines remained his main source of income. The author’s drawings appeared in Murzilka and Funny Pictures.

The artist painfully felt how the Soviet system suppresses the individual, drives people into narrow frames and imposes ready-made roles. In order not to enter into an open confrontation with the leadership and society, he used to divide creativity into “systemic” and “personal” since his student days. During the day, he demonstrated to teachers and employers what they wanted and expected from him, and in the evenings he worked for himself.

With a small company of like-minded people, he painted in the style of abstract expressionism, the period of “cezannism” passed. Despite difficult circumstances, he found his own style and subsequently was able to say a new word in world art.

In the late 60s, Kabakov received his own workshop in the attic from the Union of Soviet Artists and began to create large-format works. Officially, he was known as an illustrator, and unofficially as the author of non-standard conceptual works. But life in a communal apartment, the lack of prospects and the need to constantly “mimic” no doubt put pressure on the painter. Not without reason, decades later, the theme of communal apartments, garbage and the miserable position of a person in a totalitarian system constantly pops up in his work.

Moving to the USA

In the 80s, Moscow nonconformist artists had the opportunity to exhibit in the West. In 1985, Kabakov held exhibitions in France and Switzerland.

Ilya Kabakov decided to permanently move to New York. After emigration, he gained well-deserved fame. He gained access to extensive exhibition spaces, where he created new installations. Soon there were invitations to exhibit in Paris, Berlin and at the Venice Biennale. A year after the move, the artist married a distant relative. Emilia Kabakova became his permanent collaborator. In the 90s, the Kabakovs were in for a real triumph: the best museums in the world competed for their installations. In 2008, they received the Imperial Prize of Japan.

Kabakov’s works are appreciated not only by museums, but also by private collectors. In 2008, his painting “Beetle” was sold in London for almost $6,000,000. Several other works overcame the price bar of $1,000,000. On average, the master’s paintings cost 300-600 thousand dollars, and good drawings – 3-5 thousand .