Spheres, 1972 and 1975
Leather and leather dyes, 4 panels, each 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches
Mila Gokhman (b. 1934, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian-American artist who had a considerable reputation in Eastern Europe during the late Soviet era and in the early years of Ukrainian Independence. As a Jewish woman whose art was abstract, improvisational, and in violation of Soviet Socialist Realism, it was with tenacity and against all odds that her work was featured in solo exhibitions at museums and received extensive media coverage. In 2000, she moved to Southern California, where she has lived in total obscurity. Yet, she has continued, on a daily basis, to produce art that radiates life, joy, and movement. This article seeks to bring Mila Gokhman and her art into the light. It is hoped that her stunning and technically adventurous work in leather will take its deserved place in art history.
Published in Woman’s Art Journal, Fall/Winter 2022, Volume 43, Number 2., pages 28-38.