SERGEI KUKURUZA (1906–1979) Border guard

signed and dated in Cyrillic in pencil ‘1935 S. Kukuruza’ (lower right), titled in Cyrillic ‘Pogranichnik’ (lower left); ownership stamp of Igor Dichenko collection (on the reverse) woodcut on illustration 11.4 x 15.8 cm (image), 19.5 x 28.5 cm (sheet) Executed in 1935 PROVENANCE: Collection of Igor Dichenko (Ihor Dychenko) (1946-2015), Soviet and Ukrainian collector, art historian, and painter; one of the ideologists of the Ukrainian avant-garde, Kyiv. Private collection, Europe Sergei Vassilievitch Kukuruza was a Soviet Ukrainian and Kazakh graphic artist. He studied at the Kyiv Art Institute before completing his training at the Surikov Moscow Art Institute, where he graduated in 1940 with illustrations for Nikolai Gogol’s works. Following political repression, he was exiled to Aktobe (Kazakhstan), where he worked as a theatre designer and drawing teacher before being officially rehabilitated in 1972. A member of the Union of Soviet Artists from 1958 and the only member of the Union in the Aktobe region for many years, he was also the first artist in Kazakhstan to master the technique of colour linocut and to introduce the art of the ex-libris to the country. His work celebrated the landscapes of Kazakhstan and his native Podillia, as well as the legacy of Taras Shevchenko, to whom he devoted several important print series. Upon the buyer’s request, we are pleased to provide a general condition report for the Lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to conduct their own inspection or consult a specialist or restorer of their choice for a comprehensive professional assessment. Any condition descriptions provided in the catalogue or through any correspondence are for guidance only and should not be considered a substitute for a firsthand evaluation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.