Timeline

1927

Born in Russia

1974

Moved to the United States, where he won international recognition in the ABC production about his art, “Canvas of Freedom”. This was followed by a United States Information Agency documentary shown in 92 countries about one of his many exhibitions at Hammer Galleries.

2006

Commissioned to paint the famous blues musician BB King. This painting was presented to Mr. King in celebration of his 80th birthday in 2006.

Klionsky became the youngest artist ever to have his paintings exhibited in the world famous Tretiakov National Gallery in Moscow. His paintings were subsequently exhibited throughout the Soviet Union, in Europe (including Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Berlin, Lausanne, Prague and the Grand Palais in Paris) and as far away as China, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. When exhibited in London alongside Marc Chagall, the critics raved about his early work and compared it to that of Picasso.

Klionsky has gained worldwide prominence as a master of portrait painting. His works include portraits of leaders in the world of politics, such as Golda Meir, Vernon Jordan, and Elie Wiesel; music, including Mstislay Rostropovich and Dizzy Gillespie; business leaders Dr. Armand Hammer, Malcolm S. Forbes, Jr. and Dwayne Andreas; and many others. His portraits are in the permanent collections of The National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C., The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lausanne, Switzerland. He has been hailed by John Russell, one of America’s foremost art experts and former chief art critic of the New York Times, as “one of the best portrait painters around.” A book on the life and art of Marc Klionsky, written by John Russell was published in 2004.