Natalya Nesterova

Natalya Nesterova (Russian: Ната́лья И́горевна Не́стерова; 1944–2022) was a Russian artist who was an academician with the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. Her work has been described as "strik[ing] the kind of delicate balance between the real and surreal which can evoke a feeling that something is not quite right even before one has the chance to figure out why".[1] Because her works were painted "in a figurative primitivist manner while often depicting grotesque imagery, Nesterova was sometimes accused of undermining the foundations of Russian professional artistic training".[2]

## Biography[edit]

Nesterova was born April 23, 1944, in Moscow.[3] Her parents Igor Smirnov and Zoya Nesterova were architects.[4] Her first exhibition was with a young artists' group in 1966.[5] She graduated from the Surikov Art Institute in 1968, after which she became a professor at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts.[3] In 1969, she became a member of the Artists' Union of the USSR.[2]

Nesterova's first solo exhibition was held at the Artists’ House on Kuznetsky Bridge in 1974.[2] After traveling to New York City for an exhibition at the Hal Bromm Gallery in 1988,[1] she spent much of her life between Russia and the United States.[3] Her first exhibition in Chicago occurred in 1991, followed by an exhibition in Madrid in 1992.[5] During her career, she received the Russian National Award in Fine Art and was named an academician with the Russian Academy of Fine Arts,[3] among other honors.[5]

She had one son, Lev. She also cared for her grandson, David Nesterov-Rappoport.[5][6]

Fearing retaliation from the Russian government due to her criticism of the invasion of Ukraine, Nesterova settled in the United States in 2022.[1] She died August 10, 2022, in New York.[3]

## Selected solo exhibitions[edit]

* 1990: Recent works from Moscow». Hal Bromm Gallery, New York
* 1992: Retrospective. Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
* 2002: Russian Wanderings. Traveling exhibition. Lehman College Art Gallery, New York (cat). 2004: Natalya Nesterova. Reflections of Time Past. State Russian Museum . St. Peterburg (monograph).
* 2005: Summer Impressions. The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC.
* 2023: Counterpoint. Hal Bromm Gallery, New York[1][6]
* 2024: The Creative Journey. Selections from the Kolodzei Art Foundation. The Harriman Institute, International Affairs Building, Columbia University, NYC[3]

## Selected group exhibitions[edit]

* 2005: Russia! Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (cat.)

## Selected public collections[edit]

Nesterova's works are in many public collections, including the following:

* China National Museum of Fine Arts (Beijing)[5]
* Jewish Museum (New York)[5][7]
* Kolodzei Art Foundation
* Ludwig Forum Museum for International Art (Aachen)[5][8]
* Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Montreal)[5]
* Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Moscow)
* Museum of Contemporary Art (Budapest)[5]
* National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, DC)[5]
* Russian Museum (St. Petersburg)[5]
* Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York)[5]
* Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow)[5]
* Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University (New Jersey)

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Selicious, Calla (2023-04-20). "Natalya Nesterova Back at Hal Bromm, 35 Years Later". Office Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
2. ^ a b c "Opening: Works by Russian Artist Natalya Nesterova". Tribeca Trib Online. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Natalya Nesterova: The Creative Journey". The Harriman Institute. Columbia University. Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
4. ^ "Natalya Nesterova. PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST | The Tretyakov Gallery Magazine". www.tretyakovgallerymagazine.com. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bromm, Hal; Gertsman, Alexandre (2022-08-15). "Natalya Nesterova: My work is about what you see". Art Focus Now. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
6. ^ a b Gural, Natasha (2023-04-30). "Russian Artist Natalya Nesterova Gains Overdue Acclaim With New York Exhibition". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
7. ^ "Boy". The Jewish Museum. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
8. ^ Bradley, Kimberly (2021-09-29). "Elvis vs. Lenin: A Superpower Confrontation on Canvas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2024-01-23.

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