Alexander Gurevich (born February 7, 1944) is an Israeli painter and graphic artist. He was born in Alapaevsk, Ural (former Soviet Union) where his family stayed during World War II. Gurevich's parents divorced when he was young; he and his mother returned to her hometown Leningrad when he was 18 months old. He was raised by his grandparents from mother's side. After finishing high school, he attended the then Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute (LETI) (now Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University) during 1961-1967, majoring in electronic engineering. Upon graduation Gurevich worked as an engineer for 5 years. In 1971 Gurevich enlisted into High Art College, named Muhina (now Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy), from which he graduated 3.5 years later; after earning a degree in Industrial Design. He worked as a decorator for 15 following years, at the same time pursuing his unofficial creative career as an artist.
Work in the Soviet Union
In the 70s Gurevich took part in various exhibitions of unofficial art, as a member of so-called Fellowship of Experimental Art. In 1975 he became a member of Alef group (a group of Jewish artists, founded by Eugene Abeshaus in Leningrad.) Their landmark exhibition, which included the artists Alexander Manusov, Anatoli Basin and Alexander Okun, was viewed by four thousand people in its first week alone. Membership to the Aleph group was dangerous politically, and by 1977 the group disbanded. In 1989 he participated in the Art Festival "Creativity under Duress" in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Work in Israel
In 1993 Gurevich together with his family emigrated to Israel. He has been living and working in Jerusalem since then. In 1994 he became a member of the Artists House (Beit Amanim) in Jerusalem. In 2008 an album about his life and art was published by Ruvim Braude in San Francisco, California, USA ("Alexander Gurevich"); with articles by B. Bernstein and N. Blagodatov.
Gurevich has had one-man exhibitions in galleries in the United States, Russia, Germany and Israel.
Works in museums
The Russian Museum
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Oberhessisches_Museum, Gissen, Germany
Osaka Contemporary Art Center
Museum-non-conformist-art, St.Petersburg
Museum of Art Saint Petersburg XX-XXI c.(МИСП), Russia
Exhibitions
1995, Jerusalem-Artists House
1995, Gallery Kunstzaum Am Hallhof, Memingen, Germany
1996, Gallery “Serebryany vek”, S. Petersburg, Russia
1998, Gallery “Anna”, S. Petersburg
1999, Gallery “Sara Kishon”, Tel Aviv
1999, Oberhessisches Museum, Gissen, Germany
2000, Gallery “Art Dome”, San Francisco, USA
2002, Gallery “Kunst +” Wetzlar, Germany
2008, Teatron Ierushalaim, Jerusalem
2009, Gallery Karandagi, Tel Aviv
2011, Gallery “Art Dome”, San Francisco, USA
2012, Gallery "Beit Naima", Jerusalem
2015, Gallery “Colorida”, Lisbon, Portugal. 2019, Gallery "Art Dome", San Francisco, USA 2019, London Art Biennale, UK, 2023, TMORA (The Museum Of Russian Art), Minneapolis, USA
References
Further reading
From Gulag to Glasnost: Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union. The N&N Dodge Collection. Thames and Hudson, New York, 1995 12 from the Soviet Underground. Catalogue, Berkeley, CA, 1976 21 Artists from The Fellowship for Experimental Art, gallery Route One, USA, 1988 Creativity Under Duress: From Gulag To Glasnost. Catalogue, Louisville, KY, 1989 Soltes, Ori Z. III. Art, Politics, Literature and Religion, Art and the Holocaust. B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Museum, Washington DC. P. 6-8 Modern Art Gallery "Anna", catalogue, Leningrad,1990 Alexandr Gurevich - biblical series-painting, catalogue, St. Petersburg, 1993 Alexander Gurevich - Painting, David Gallery, catalogue, Jerusalem,2000 Boris Bernstein, Nikolai Blagodatov, "Alexander Gurevich", San Francisco 2008 (album) Newspaper "Vesti", application "Okna", 18 December 2008 "Sea Level", catalogue II international Art Festival, "Pushkinskaya-10" art center, 2009 7th international triennial of graphic art, 2012 - 348 p.: ill. International Contemporary Artists, volume 8, ICA Publishing. 2014 Colorida gallery, Lisbon, catalog 2015, http://www.colorida.biz/gurevich.jpg Leningrad Underground, New Museum,2015, Sn. Petersburg,Russia The Art Encyclopedia, Jerusalem, Israel, 2016