A talk with Yelena Lembersky, moderated by Vassili Schedrin, REES Director.

Felix Lembersky (1913-1970) was a Soviet Jewish painter, teacher, theater sets designer, and an organizer of artistic groups in Ukraine and Russia. Born in Poland, he grew up in Ukraine, and began working as an artist in Kyiv, before moving to Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), Soviet Russia. Gaining national recognition for his realist portrayal of Soviet industry, he rejected Socialist Realism, mandated by the communists, and became a vocal critic of repressive policies against arts. He is best known for his Execution: Babyn Yar canvases (ca. 1944-52) and colorful non-figurative paintings that, in the artist’s words, “express subject matter as a metaphor” and “reveal hidden spirituality in nature.”

Admission is free, all are welcome.

Yelena Lembersky is an author, an architect, and a project director at the Uniterra Foundation, promoting art and mutual understanding around the world. She has curated exhibitions and edited catalogues of her grandfather Felix Lembersky’s art. Her writing appeared in World Literature Today, Cardinal Points, and The Forward, and she was interviewed on National Public Radio, Radio Boston, and BBC.

Sponsored by the Russian and Eastern European Studies Network (REES), Jewish Studies Program, Hillel, and Jewski Club at Queen's University.