Yurii Kuper was born in Moscow in 1940. He graduated from the Moscow Academy of the Arts in 1963. Kuper’s art has been consistently apolitical and avoids the task of social critique. In the 1960s he was drawn to Veisberg’s meditative works and Kabakov’s conceptual poetry. Kuper’s art focuses on simple objects. Although his art shares formal characteristics with Pop Art, it exceeds the boundaries of the movement.
In 1970 the artist designed costumes and scenery for several Moscow theatrical performances. Shortly thereafter he emigrated to England, and in 1975 settled in Paris. He continued to work as a stage designer and created scenery for theaters in Paris, Marseilles, Rome, and Moscow. His designs for McTeaque, the opera staged by Robert Altman in Chicago in 1991-1992, were a tremendous success.
Kuper’s work can be seen in the largest private collections, museums, and foundations in the United States and Europe. He lives and works in Paris and Normandy.
