Oleg Tselkov was born in 1934 outside Moscow. Between 1949 and 1953 he attended the Surikov Institute of Art in Moscow, together with Bulatov and Kabakov. On two occasions he was forced to leave artistic institutions due to his independence and free thinking. The first was the Institute of Stage Design in Minsk and the second, the Leningrad Academy of the Arts. In both cases he was accused of «formalism». He graduated from the Leningrad Theatrical Institute under Nikolai Akimov in 1958.
Tselkov is one of the few Russian artists who chose to follow the tradition of Surrealism. The subject of his art is the transformation of the human psyche under the strain of a totalitarian society. Tselkov’s images remind one of Botero’s characters, only they are more tragic and, often, more violent.
Artists of differing affiliations used to collect at Tselkov’s Moscow studio to discuss the history and problems of modern and contemporary art, and to meet Western writers, art historians, and diplomats who would visit. Tselkov’s art was born in that fantastic atmosphere. His paintings are magically illuminated and populated by mystical characters resembling balloons. Tselkov’s cultural evolution is an unusual mix of Surrealism, naive art, fantastic realism, and Latin American monumentalism.
In 1977 Tselkov left the Soviet Union and settled in the West. He actively participates in Russian alternative culture and international art movements. Tselkov lives and works in Paris.