Author Description

Painting has always played a role in the work of Ilya Kabakov, who is famous throughout the world, particularly for his installations. He began his career as a painter and illustrator and now, at almost 80 years of age, he is returning to his beginnings. His latest catalogue raisonné of paintings, dating from 2008 to 2013, provide an overview of his most recent paintings, which reflect his exploration of socialist realism but also his own biography, his entire personal history. A book of memories is opened - fragments, scraps but also dark spots in the luxuriantly colourful image morph into a picture of how the artist has lived, what he has experienced.