Borisov Leonid

Leonid Borisov — St Petersburg-born (Leningrad) artist is a leading figure within Soviet Nonconformist Art ("unofficial art", "underground art") and is renowned for geometric abstraction. Articulating the geometric aspects of the historical Russian avant-garde would lead to his participation in the first exhibition of unofficial art in St Petersburg in 1975.

Although taking part in all significant St Petersburg "unofficial art" exhibitions since the 1970s, Borisov’s passion for geometry made him even more of an “outsider” in his hometown. He looked towards Moscow Conceptualism (early 1970s – 1980s) rather than Soviet Nonconformist Art's initial preoccupation with quasi-modernist painting techniques.

Like many of his contemporaries applying conceptual art and appropriation to subvert socialist ideology, Borisov’s style is also directly linked to Kazimir Malevich (1879 - 1935), the founder of the nihilistic Suprematist movement.

Borisov did not only follow Russian art, but also drew inspiration from 20th century art from the West, such as that of Rene Magritte and Donald Judd.

Leonid Borisov graduated from the Leningrad Electro-Technical Institute of Communications (1968). He associated with Vladimir Nemukhin, Eduard Steinberg and members of the Dvizhenie (second half of the 1970s). He was also a member of the International Federation of Artists (1992). Borisov died of a heart attack on Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve whilst leaving his St Petersburg studio (2013).

Selected exhibitions:

• 1978 “Leonid Borisov. Personal exhibition“. House of Culturenamed after N.K. Krupskaya, Leningrad
• 1994 “Cubism“. Gallery 21, St. Petersburg
• 1995 “Geometry“. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
• 1998 “Geometry Lessons“. ROSIZO Gallery, Moscow
• 1999 “Dedicated to Malevich“. Center of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg
• 2001 “Dada-deformation“. Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
• 2001 “Black Nights“. Tochka Gallery, Moscow
• 2005 “Leonid Borisov. Painting, object, sculpture“. Central House of Artists, Moscow
• 2005 “Italy. Switzerland. Photos“. KINO-FOT Gallery, St. Petersburg
• 2005 “Concrete Art“. Kino Gallery, Moscow
• 2006 “People of Malevich“. Borey Gallery (with the support of the NCCA), St. Petersburg
• 2007 “LIVING-VISION“. Tyumen Regional Museum of Fine Arts, Tobolsk State Historical and Archival Museum-Reserve
• 2007 “The Game“. “Atelier №2“ Gallery, Vinzavod Art Center, Moscow
• 2008 “LIVE-VISION“. Kurgan Regional Art Museum, Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts
• 2008 “Leonid Borisov. Photo“. Blue Square Gallery, Paris
• 2009 “Great and close“. “Mokhovaya-18“ Gallery, St. Petersburg
• 2010 “Game in the classics“. State Art Museum of Khanty-Mansiysk, Sterkh Gallery of Modern Art (Surgut), Museum of Fine Arts. M.A. Vrubel (Omsk), Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, Kemerovo Regional Museum of Fine Arts
• 2010 “Exclusive“. Art Bureau Gallery, Pushkinskaya-10 Art Center, St. Petersburg
• 2010 “Under the sign of Filonov“. Tyumen State Drama Theater
• 2011 “Porcelain. Fragile connection“, joint exhibition with Natalia Khlebtsevich. Kino Gallery, Moscow
• 2013 “9 days“. Art League Gallery, Pushkinskaya-10 Art Center, St. Petersburg
• 2013 “That's all“. State Russian Museum (Marble Palace), St. Petersburg
• 2014–2015 “Lessons in Geometry”. Elena Shchukina Gallery, London
• 2015 "Leonid Borisov. The first five years. 1975-1979". DiDi Gallery, St. Petersburg
• 2019 "Leonid Borisov: Black Geometry". DiDi Gallery, St. Petersburg
• 2020 Cosmoscow International Contemporary Art Fair. Stand of DiDi Gallery, Gostiny Dvor, Moscow
• 2020 "Vegetables, fruits and other items". DiDi Gallery, St. Petersburg