Yefim LADYZHENSKY 1911 — 1982Єфим ЛАДИЖЕНСЬКИЙ • Ефим ЛАДЫЖЕНСКИЙYefim Ladyzhensky was born in Odessa in 1911. Began studying art at the Theater Faculty of the Odessa Arts Institute (1928-1931). Created set designs but also painted Jewish subjects and scenes of life in Odessa. Became a member of the Union of Soviet Artists in 1939. For being Jewish and because of the anti-Semitic policies of the Soviet Union, Ladyzhensky was exiled to Siberia, where he stayed from 1949 through 1956. Returned to Moscow, where he painted some of his most important paintings. Emigrated to Israel in 1978. As he had to pay exorbitant customs duties to take his works to Israel, the artist destroyed nearly two thousand of his paintings and drawings. Although granted solo exhibitions at the Israel Museum (1979-1980) and the University of Haifa Art Gallery (1980-1981), Ladyzhensky did not feel that the Israeli art establishment ever properly appreciated his work. Another problem was that he lived and worked in a remote section of Jerusalem, had difficulties adopting as an artist to the free-market economy, and failed to learn Hebrew. Tragically, Ladyzhensky hanged himself in his studio in Jerusalem in 1982. |
