Vadim Sidur

Sculptor, graphic artist, illustrator, poet, writer. Born in the family of Abram Sidur and Zinaida Andrianova (1924) in the Ukrainian city of Ekaterinoslav (renamed Dnepropetrovsk in 1926). Fought and wounded in the Second World War (1942–44). Studied monumental sculpture at the Central/Higher School of Art and Industry in Moscow (1945–53). Worked on monumental commissions in the spirit of Socialist Realism (early 1950s). Collaborated with Vladimir Lemport and Nikolai Silis as part of the LeSS group (1954–63). Member of the Union of Artists (1957). Forbidden from exhibiting in the Soviet Union (late 1950s). Developed his own Expressionist style (1961), addressing such simple biographical subjects as the family, maternity, eroticism and the military theme. Created Grob Art, consisting of sculptures made from modern refuse – sewage pipes, spare parts from car engines and other waste products (1973). Expelled from the Communist Party (1974). Never rejected the classical tradition and often addressed the art of ancient peoples. German art critic Karl Eimermacher helped to install a series of monuments designed by the artist in the West, including a memorial to the victims of Treblinka Extermination Camp (1966) in West Berlin (1979). Died in Moscow (1986) and honoured by the opening of the Vadim Sidur State Museum in Moscow (1988). Contributed to exhibitions, including Collage in Russia: XX Century at the Russian Museum in St Petersburg (2005–06) and a one-day exhibition at the House of the Writer in Moscow (1968).