Mai Dantsig

Mai Dantsig. Photo by Eugeny Kolchev. 2013

Mai Volfovich Dantsig (Belarusian: Май Вольфавіч Данцыг; Russian: Май Вольфович Данциг; born April 27, 1930 in Minsk ) is a Belarusian artist active during the Soviet era and independence of Belarus. He is considered to be one of the founders of the contemporary Belarusian art.

Dantzig graduated from Minsk Art School in 1952. From 1952 to 1958 Mai studied in the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow, under Mikhail Kurilko and Victor Tsyplakov. From 1958 he has been teaching at the Belarusian Academy of Arts. From 2001 he has been the chairman of the Department of Painting there. In 1995 he became a People's Artist of Belarus. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Francysk Skaryna.

Mai often paints in large formats, which, in addition to his expressive style, helps transform his chosen themes from quotidian to important, and imbues his pictures with a monumental character. His works often take on symbolic or metaphorical significance.

He was the author of many paintings and drawings related to World War II and Soviet partisans including the And Saved World remembers. He is also famous for his series of portraits of Soviet Intelligentsia including Bulat Okudzhava, Georgy Tovstonogov, Ales Adamovich, Vasil Bykaŭ.

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