Ivan Leonidovich Lubennikov

Ivan Lubennikov was born on May 14, 1951, in Minsk, BSSR, into the family of Soviet party and state figure Leonid Ignatievich Lubennikov.
Ivan graduated from the Moscow Secondary Art School and the Surikov Institute majoring in monumental painting (the studio of K. A. Tutevol). Professional acclaim and liberal criticism came to him in the early 1980s, notably for his mural in the assembly hall of the "Trekhgornaya Manufactory," which earned him the MOSKH RSFSR prize for "Best Work of the Year." For designing the exterior and interior of the new railway station in Zvenigorod (now lost after a reconstruction not involving the artist), he received the "First Prize of MGOHF."
Lubennikov's paintings occupied prominent places at Moscow youth exhibitions and were awarded diplomas.

In the 1990s, interest among foreign collectors in Soviet art blossomed. At this time, German art collector Peter Ludwig also began acquiring Lubennikov's works, buying over a dozen pieces. Another buyer, German publicist Henri Nannen, showed similar interest.
The first major solo exhibition of Lubennikov's work opened in 1987 at the "Na Kashirke" exhibition hall in Moscow, attracting wide public and critical attention—most works were acquired by Russian museums and foreign collectors. Simultaneously, Lubennikov was active in architectural projects.

In the late 1980s, Lubennikov decorated and modernized the facades of the Moscow Taganka theater with metal constructions. In 1980, he created the Soviet section of the Auschwitz International Museum in collaboration with architect Alexander Skokan. A major project of the 1980s was his participation in developing the State Mayakovsky Museum in Moscow (with E. Amaspyur, A. Volkov, I. Obrosov, and others), creating multiple metal and concrete volumetric-spatial compositions.

From the early 1990s, Lubennikov temporarily paused architectural work due to the economic difficulties of the new Russia. During this time, he collaborated with galleries in the USA, France, and the Netherlands. Many of his works entered prominent private collections, such as that of the Lurex company president in Paris.

Meanwhile, Lubennikov began teaching at the Surikov Institute and was involved in public and exhibition work, organizing and leading several professional art groups and exhibitions.
In 2005, with four other artists and over three and a half years, Lubennikov helped design several Moscow Metro stations: "Mayakovskaya" (mosaics in the north vestibule, awarded the International V. Mayakovsky Prize in 2009), "Sretensky Boulevard" (etched metal panels), and "Slavyansky Boulevard" (interior design). He also created the metal and cast glass spatial composition "The Little Hen Ryaba" for the Paris Metro (station Madeleine, line 14).

In 2004–2006, Lubennikov developed and realized the architectural-artistic concept for the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (architects A. Anisimov, Z. Batrakova) in Peredelkino, Moscow region.

Some of Lubennikov’s easel works are kept in national collections, including the Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, and numerous regional museums and galleries. The majority of his works are in foreign private and museum collections, many unknown in Russia.

In October 2011, the first two-volume artist monograph was published, featuring reproductions of paintings and monumental objects, as well as Lubennikov's artistic and documentary prose, supported by Agey Tomesh/WAM, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications.

Ivan Lubennikov died on October 3, 2021, and was buried at Moscow's Kuntsevo Cemetery (section 10).

1982 Group exhibition with V. Kharlov, Moscow; 1986 Group exhibition with T. Nazarenko and N. Nesterova, West Berlin; 1987 Solo exhibition, Na Kashirke Gallery, Moscow; 1988 Group exhibition, Drama and Comedy Theater on Taganka, Moscow; 1989 Group exhibition, Marconi Gallery, Milan, Italy; 1991 Solo exhibition, Art Modern Gallery, Moscow; 1993 ART MIF-93, Moscow International Art Fair, Manezh, Moscow; 1993 Solo exhibition, Russian Collection Gallery, Moscow; 1993 Solo exhibition, Maya Polsky Gallery, Chicago, USA; 1994 Group exhibition with N. Glebova, E. Surovtseva, V. Epikhin, Moscow; 1994 March Salon, Paris; 1994 FIAC, Paris; 1994 Solo exhibition, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 1995 Group exhibition "The Artist and the Muse" with N. Glebova and A. Glebova, Thank Tempo Contemporary Art Center, Florence, Italy; 1995 FIAC95, Alain Zündel Gallery, Paris; 1995 Group exhibition "Russian House," Central House of Artists, Moscow; 1995 Sotheby's Charity Auction, Moscow; 1996 March Salon, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 1996 Group exhibition "New Angels," Volterra, Italy; 1996 Solo exhibition, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 1996 Group exhibition "Post Art Modern" in memory of Georgy Krutinsky, Central House of Artists, Moscow; 1996 Solo exhibition, Maya Polsky Gallery, Chicago, USA; 1997 Group exhibition "Illusions and Reality," Central House of Artists, Moscow; 1997 Group exhibition "Art and Spirituality," Jazz de la Rimad Corse Gallery, France; 1997 Solo exhibition, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 1997 Chicago Art Fair, Alain Blondel Gallery, USA; 1998 Solo exhibition, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands; 1998 The Hague Contemporary Art Fair, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Netherlands; 1998 ART Manezh 98, Alain Blondel Gallery, Moscow; 1998, 1999 Solo exhibitions, De Tise Rappen Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands; 1999 Group exhibition with N. Glebova, Anglet (Biarritz), France; 1999 Solo exhibition, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 1999 Group exhibition "Ivan + Natalia," Central House of Artists, Moscow; 1999 Solo exhibition, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands; 1999 Solo exhibition, Together Gallery, Moscow; 2000 Antique and Contemporary Art Pavilion, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 2000 The Hague Contemporary Art Fair, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Netherlands; 2000 Solo exhibition, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 2000 Solo exhibition, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Netherlands; 2001 Art Pavilion, Alain Blondel Gallery, Paris; 2001 Jubilee solo exhibition, Manezh, Moscow; 2001 Solo exhibition, Tarascon, France; 2001 Solo exhibition, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Netherlands; 2001 Solo exhibition dedicated to Russian Independence Day, Together Gallery, Moscow; 2001 Solo exhibition, Olympic-Penta-Renaissance Hotel, Moscow; 2002 Group exhibition of Russian artists, Administration of the President of Russia; 2002 Solo exhibition, Gostiny Dvor, Moscow; 2002 Solo exhibition, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Netherlands; 2002 Group exhibition of Russian State Prize nominees, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow; 2003 Solo exhibition, Istanbul; 2004–2010 no data; 2011 The Price of Freedom, Central House of Artists, Moscow; 2013 Small Format Painting, Open Club, Moscow; 2013 Picnic on the Grass, Gallery on Clean Ponds, Moscow; 2014 Solo exhibition: "Ivan Lubennikov. Canvas. Oil." YVS Art Gallery, Moscow.