MAXIM KANTOR (B. 1957) Family in boat

signed, titled and dated ‘Family in boat/ Maxim Kantor/ 2025’ (on the reverse) oil on canvas 130 x 130 cm painted in 2025 Maxim Kantor (b. 1957) is a renowned painter, writer, and essayist whose work bridges political critique and poetic symbolism. Based between Germany, France, and the UK, Kantor rose to prominence in the 1980s as a member of the Red Room collective, a group of Moscow-based underground artists opposing Soviet censorship. He represented Russia at the 1997 Venice Biennale, marking a major milestone in his international career. His work has since been exhibited in leading institutions including the Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), the British Museum (London), and the Sprengel Museum (Hanover). Deeply expressive and often compared to German Expressionists such as George Grosz, Kantor’s paintings feature portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and religious scenes, alongside images charged with social and political commentary. His dream-like compositions evoke a world where buildings crumble, trees never blossom, and human presence is implied but hauntingly absent — each element becoming a symbolic center of meaning. Both powerful and poetic, Kantor’s work offers a striking visual reflection on the moral and political state of the world today.