Oleg Vassiliev was born in Moscow in 1931. He attended the Moscow Secondary Art School from 1947 to 1952. He graduated from the Surikov Institute of Art in 1958. During his studies he fell under the influence of Robert Falk and Cézannism. He worked as an illustrator for children’s books and was often awarded prizes for his drawings.
Vassiliev’s first personal exhibition took place in 1968 at the Blue Bird, an elite Moscow cafe. It stayed open one night only but gave rise to extensive controversial discussions.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Vassiliev participated in various projects within the Russian alternative art movement. His work was shown in 1977 at the Biennale in Venice and later at numerous other venues.
The artist lives and works in New York City.
