Ilya Kabakov was born in 1933 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. He became a prolific illustrator of children's books for more than thirty years until he moved to the West in the late 1980s. During the 1960s and 70s, Kabakov also produced unauthorized abstract and absurdist paintings and books. Since the 1970s, he has gained recognition in the West. From 1989 Ilya and Emilia (born in 1945) have created many installations for major museums around the world. The Kabakovs’ “total installations” feature memories of everyday life in the former Soviet Union, rendered with a unique blend of cynicism and humor. In recent years, their projects have expanded into a fantasy-laden critique of modern society and history in general. They have been based in New York since 1988.