Work / No. 5
With a Medal
Oleg Tselkov (1934–2021) found his central subject in 1960: hairless, mask-like faces that he himself called "mugs". His first solo show, at the Kurchatov Institute, was closed after two days. In 1977, under pressure from the authorities, he left for France. He lived there for more than forty years. His works are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, the Pushkin Museum and the Zimmerli Art Museum (USA).