The Artist behind Bars (Self-Portrait)
Boris Penson
1968

Creator Bio
Boris Penson
Boris Penson, born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is an Israeli painter and teacher. Arrested as a teen for “anti-Soviet activity,” Penson served several years at hard labor. In 1970, Penson was again arrested as a member of the Leningrad Nine, for allegedly plotting to escape Soviet Russia by hijacking a plane, and condemned to ten years imprisonment. In 1972, during Penson’s imprisonment, his work was exhibited at New York’s Jewish Museum. Although much of Penson’s work was confiscated upon his arrest, a number of his paintings were smuggled out of the Soviet Union by a friend. After his release from prison, Penson immigrated to Israel, where he established a studio and continued painting, participating in several international exhibitions.
Related Guide
Visual and Material Culture in the Mid-Twentieth Century
Jewish visual art flourished and diversified in the postwar period, reflecting the social and political transformations taking place in the world.