Albert
Grigorievich Balabin

Ukraine • 1934−2004

Biography and information

Albert G. Balabin(1934-2004)
People's artist of Ukraine(1992)

Born November 19, 1934 in the town of Plavsk, Moscow region.
He studied at the Leningrad art College named. Brodsky (Department of painting) and at the Leningrad higher art - industrial school im. Mukhina (Department of glass).

Albert Balabin gave the glass forty years of his life. Since 1968 he worked at the Kiev factory of artistic glass, has mastered the craft of glass blowing. For a long time remained the only sculptor who created their work from conception to realization in the glass, without the aid of masters.
It may seem paradoxical, but being closely associated with the production, Balabin has always opposed a purely utilitarian glass.

It does not replicate my original works and is never used when creating forms.

1961-63 he worked at glassworks "Neman",where he mastered the art workmanship.
1963-68 worked on the Kerch glass plant.
1968 -1997 sculptor,the chief sculptor of the Kiev factory of artistic glass(KSHS)
1971 - member of the Union of artists of the USSR.
1982 - awarded the title "Honored artist of Ukraine"
1992 - awarded the title "people's artist of Ukraine"
1994 - personal exhibition, national Museum of Ukrainian decorative folk art,Kyiv.
2004 - posthumous personal exhibition, national Museum of art named after Bogdan and Varvara Hanenko,Kiev.

Awarded bronze, silver and gold medals
VDNH USSR and Ukraine,
Grand Prix of the International exhibition "Glasprom-91",Kiev.

1960 - the beginning of exhibition activities.
Participant of numerous international and national exhibitions and symposiums.
He was not only a talented sculptor but also a great schedule. Made them masterpieces was presented a gift of prominent political leaders and public figures: Vladimir Shcherbitsky, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru,Giscard d estino, Alexei Kosygin, Mstislav Keldysh, Helmut Kohl. Master for the foyer of the Moscow art theatre was created glass sculpture "the Seagull".
Albert Balabin fruitfully worked in the field of architectural and spatial compositions, which now adorn the pavilions of the National exhibition centre of Ukraine. It is the painting "flora", fountains "Frozen water", "Star", "Flowering tree".

Albert Balabin said about his work: "We are the mirror of our age.
What we will do, what leave behind, will judge our time, and it is a huge responsibility."

Works of the artist are in many museums and galleries of Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belgium, great Britain, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Israel, Italy, Germany,France, Finland, Croatia, USA, Canada, Cuba, Lebanon, Thailand and Japan.

Passed away in 2004.