Yefim Ladizhensky was born in the Black Sea town of Odessa in 1911. The son of a fish saltier, he was “discovered” at the age of thirteen and taken to the studio of the famous art teacher Bershadsky, where he studied for several years before going on to the Theater faculty of the Odessa Arts Institute. From 1931 he worked as a theatre designer, making scenery and costume designs for plays and films.

 

            The most obvious characteristic in Y. Ladizhensky’s works is the narrative element of everyday life, depicted in his series called “Growing up in Odessa” (1969-1981) – memories of his childhood. The highly detailed compositions are strictly organized in space and held together by large areas of color and repeated patterns. The three dimensionality is nearly abolished and replaced by a striking flatness accompanied with turning viewpoints.

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Selected Public Collections
 

  Y. Ladizhensky’s works are represented in many major public and private collections, including in the USA :  The Jewish Museum, New York, and The J. V. Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers State University, New Jersey.

 

Selected Works