An outstanding nonconformist artist and representative of the Second Russian Avant-Garde, whose work became a vivid expression of resistance to official Soviet art.

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Russia

Sergey Volokhov (born 1937) is one of the most principled artists of Russian nonconformism, whose work became a bridge between the Soviet underground and contemporary world art.

Welcome to the section dedicated to Sergey Volokhov, one of the most uncompromising nonconformist artists of the Second Russian Avant-Garde, whose works are represented by the "Konosier" gallery. Born in 1937 in Moscow, Volokhov graduated from the Art and Graphic Faculty of the Lenin Moscow State Pedagogical Institute and in the 1960s became an active participant in underground art despite censorship and persecution. Working in the studio of avant-garde artist Vladimir Weisberg and exhibiting at the legendary "Blue Bird" café alongside Komar and Melamid, he laid the foundations of Russian Pop Art.

The fate of this artist could serve as the plot of a thrilling movie:

An idealistic student, secret exhibitions in basements, KGB persecution, unexpected recognition in the West. Today, 88-year-old Sergey Volokhov is a living legend of Russian art whose works sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet in Russia he is known only to a select few.

Important biography facts:

In 1974, 27-year-old Volokhov stood holding his painting at the infamous "Bulldozer Exhibition," when the authorities dispersed the artists with heavy machinery. His work could not be saved.
After that, he exhibited secretly in Izmailovsky Park, risking his freedom—at that time, such actions could lead to imprisonment.
In Vladimir Weisberg’s studio, he developed a unique "double brushstroke" technique, which was later adopted by many contemporary artists.
In 1991, at the height of perestroika, he unexpectedly went to Belgium—not as an emigrant, but as an artist on tour. But he remained there for 30 years.

Exhibitions and recognition

Volohov's works are presented:

In the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art;
In museums in the USA (Zimmerli Art Museum) and Belgium (d’Exel);
At international auctions, where his works are highly valued by collectors.

Why is Volohov important today?

A symbol of resistance. His biography is a reminder of the price of artistic freedom.
A technical innovator. Volokhov’s collages and assemblages anticipated contemporary mixed-media practices.
A bridge between eras. His works reflect the legacy of the First Avant-Garde and the defiance of the 1970s.

Volokhov’s art is a bold dialogue with Soviet reality, expressed through ironic collages, watercolors, installations, and mixed media. His "trash collages" and works such as "Full-Length Self-Portrait" (1969) and "Fantastic Dreams" anticipated Sots Art, while his use of the signature "Pankrat Bludov" adds a mystical dimension to his work. Since 1991, living in Belgium, Volokhov continued to exhibit in Germany and Russia, including a landmark 2007 show at the State Historical Museum, where he was called "the least clichéd nonconformist." His works are held in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and private collections worldwide.

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"My work is myself and the circumstances I found myself in—or often find myself in. This is my fate. All of this is called life."

Sergey Volohov