Oleg Prokofiev's Censored Abstract Works Unveiled at New London Studio

Prokofiev Studio, a new interdisciplinary arts space in Hackney, London, opens with 'Bending Time', the first public exhibition of abstract paintings by Oleg Prokofiev that were hidden from Soviet authorities. The Russian artist created these works in the 1950s in defiance of socialist realism, the state-mandated style under Joseph Stalin. To marry British art historian Camilla Gray, he concealed his abstract art for over a decade; they wed in 1969, but Gray died two years later at age 35. Prokofiev moved to the UK believing the paintings lost, but rediscovered them in 1994 at his former Moscow home, preserved by the new owner. The archive includes works from the 1950s, letters, sketchbooks, and sculptures. Founded by Prokofiev's children, including composer Gabriel Prokofiev, with curator Anzhela Popova, the studio aims to revive cross-disciplinary collaboration. The opening exhibition features an immersive reconstruction of his 1990s Hackney Wick studio. Gabriel Prokofiev expressed excitement about showing other local artists alongside his father's work. The exhibition runs from 1-29 May.