In 1968, he was invited to participate in an official cultural exchange with Japan artists. The freedom he witnessed in Tokyo convinced him to apply in 1971 for a permit to emigrate to Israel. At first, the permit was refused. At the same time, Zlotnik happened to participate in a major artists protest against the arrest of twelve Leningrad intellectuals. Like all his fellow protestors, he was imprisoned and released a month later. As a Russian “undesirable”, he obtained his exit permit three month later. Soon after his arrival in Israel, he tried to obtain permission for his wife and son to join him but remained unsuccessful, despite the help of a large number of western intellectuals and artists. He left Israel to settle in France where he was given a studio in Nogent-sur-Marne near Paris. Since then, Alexander Zlotnik’s works have been exhibited throughout the world.
Alexandre Zlotnik
Violin
Oil on Canvas
55 x 45 in
