Biography

1900

Serge Poliakoff is born on the 8th of January in Moscow

1920

In the course of the October Revolution escape from Russia to Constantinople. Here he meets his aunt, the singer Nastia Poliakoff, and goes on concert tours through Europe with her as a guitarist

1924

Stays in Sofia, Belgrade, Vienna and Berlin

Earns his living playing the guitar

Performances in Russian cabarets and as an extra in films

1929

Studies painting at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse

1930

Continuation of studies at the Académie Fronchot in Montmatre under Othon Friesz

1931

Participation in an exhibition at the Drouant Gallery

1932

Admission to the Salon des Artistes français

1935

acquaintance -- and the following year - marriage to Marcelle Perreur Lloyd

Stay in London and visit to the Grosvenor School of Art

1936

Student of the Slade School of Art

1937

Return to Paris and exhibition at the Galerie Zak

Encounters with Wassily Kandinsky and Otto Freundlich, as well as participation in painting evenings with Robert and Sonia Delaunay

1938

Participation in the Salon des Indépendants until the end of the war

1942

Birth of his only son, Alexis Poliakoff

1945

Prix de la Piste á l'Ecrau

Galerie Le Niveau shows Poliakoff's first abstract painting, followed by a solo exhibition of his abstract paintings at Galerie L'Esquisse, mediated by Kandinsky

1946

Beginning of the graphic work

1947

Prix Kandinsky

1948

First acquisition of a Poliakoff painting for a public collection by the Museum of Grenoble

1951

Use of the gouache technique

1952

First solo exhibition abroad at Tokanten Gallery, Copenhagen

1953

Solo exhibition at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels

1954

In addition to solo exhibitions in Paris, Cologne and Amsterdam galleries, Poliakoff is given his own space for his paintings within the exhibition "Current Trends in the Paris School" at the Kunsthalle Bern; Summer in Deauville.

1955

First monograph by Michel Ragon published by Georges Fall

1958

Museum exhibitions in Basel, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Düsseldorf

1959

Visit to the Malevich retrospective at the Kunsthalle Bern and participation in Documenta II

1960

Solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bern

1963

Exhibition at the Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover

1964

Participation in Documenta III

1965

Participated in the Tokyo Biennale and the Mentone Biennale, where he was awarded the Grand Prix

1969

Serge Poliakoff died 12 October in Paris