UFIMTSEV Viktor Ivanovich

November 21, 1899 (Barnevskoye, South Ural) — December 31, 1964 (Tashkent)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Ufimtsev spent his childhood in Tobolsk and Omsk. He studied at Omsk Commercial College (1910–1919). Since 1917 he took painting and drawing courses at the Institute of Practical Knowledge. In 1918 he was called up for military service, he fought in the ranks of the White and Red Armies (since 1919). In 1918 in Omsk Ufimtsev met D. D. Burlyuk, and then he became interested in futurism. Ufimtsev together with like-minded painters (N. A. Mamontov and Shabl-Tabulevich) created the futurist group Chervonnaya Troika (“The Three of Hearts”, 1921–1922). Since 1920 he worked as artist at the Red Army Club and as lecturer at the Red Army art studio.

In 1923 Ufimtsev visited Moscow, where he met V. V. Mayakovsky, V. Meyerhold and A. N. Tolstoy. In 1923–1925 he lived in Turkestan (Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara); he became friends with A. N. Volkov, A. V. Nikolaev (Usto-Mumin), L. L. Bure and A. V. Isupov. Ufimtsev worked at Samarkand Commission for Protection of works of art and antiquities.

In September 1925 Ufimtsev returned to Omsk. He worked as chief scene-designer in Omsk theatre (1926–1933). He travelled all over the country; visited Altai, the Caucasus, Far East and Central Asia.

Since 1933 Ufimtsev lived in Tashkent. He worked as chief scene-designer at the Hamza Drama Theatre (1933–1936). He participated in the creation of the Union of Artists of Uzbekistan; since 1933 he was a member of the organizing committee, since 1940 — chairman of the Union. In 1944 Ufimtsev was conferred the title of the People’s Artist of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In late 1950s — early 1960s he made trips to Afghanistan, Tunisia, India; and as a result he created a series of gouaches Afghan Diary, Tunisia, Along the roads of India.

Ufimtsev worked in various fields of art. He was engaged in easel graphic art, posters, collages. He designed samizdat (self-published) poetry collections: The Futurists — Collection 1 (1921), Autographs (1920–1923). He kept graphic diaries (Piece of Life, 1920s). Ufimtsev painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, in 1930s — works on revolutionary and Soviet life themes.

Since 1921 Ufimtsev participated in the exhibitions. He took part in the first exhibition of the group Chervonnaya Troika, the 1st All-Siberian exhibition of painting, sculpture, graphic art and architecture in Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tomsk (1927), the 1st Kazakhstan Travelling Art Exhibition (1928) and others. Personal exhibitions of the artist were held in Novo-Nikolaevsk (Novosibirsk, 1921), in Samarkand (1924, together with Usto-Mumin), in Omsk (1926).

Exhibitions of artist’s works were held in Moscow (2007, 2009) and in Omsk (2009).

Works by Viktor Ufimtsev are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M. A. Vrubel, the State Art Museum of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, the State Art Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I. V. Savitsky in Nukus.