Girair Poladian was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1939. He studied at the Moscow Art School and the Moscow Textile Institute. As a young artist, he participated in the landmark 30 Years of the Moscow Artists’ Union exhibition at Moscow Manege on December 1, 1962—an event often associated with the beginning of the end of the Soviet Cultural Thaw.
In 1976, Poladian immigrated to New York. Working as a freelance artist, he exhibited throughout New York and New Jersey, as well as Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. His work entered the collections of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan, alongside private collections in the United States, Russia, Germany, Israel, Armenia, and Mexico.
His work is included in international references such as De Gruyter’s General Artists’ Encyclopedia and Abstraction in Russia — XX Century.
“All around us there lives a uniquely diverse group, with an overwhelming array of human expressions. This amazing and strange world, with its lights and colors, is a passionate experience for me.”
Poladian’s inspiration came from close observation of people and nature. With color, intuition, and a deeply personal vocabulary, he worked to express his admiration for the world’s beauty. He died in New York in January 2023.
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