Semion Rabinkov

"I have been a sculptor all of my life. The more I do, the more difficult I find it to explain what sculpture is. For me, sculpture is the combination of all medias. This is right, and, on the other hand, wrong. The whole of sculpture is greater than its parts. Sculpture is the full reflection of our lives."
-Semion Rabinkov

Semion Rabinkov comes from Kishinev, Moldova where he studied sculpture at the Repine Art College, graduating in 1973. Specializing in monumental sculpture, he installed many outdoor pieces in Moldova and Israel during the early years of his career. The scale of his work ranges widely, as he believes that "each piece can be monumental, regardless of its size." Lately, the focus of his work has been on exploring "the possibility of the human's sensible and harmonious integration with nature," using predominantly bronze and steel, which he sees as representing the natural world and the man-made, respectively. From 2003 to 2005, he collaborated with fellow Bucks County sculptor Steve Tobin to create the Trinity Root monument in New York City to commemorate the events of 9/11. His works have been exhibited worldwide, in Moldova, Israel, Russia, France, and the U.S. Since 2008, he and his wife, painter Irina Rabinkov, have lived in Springtown, Bucks County.

Education and Training
Repine Art College, Kishinev, Moldova, 1973

Influences
Ernst Barlach, Alberto Giacometti, Constantin Brancusi

Colleagues and Affiliations
Steve Tobin, Patricia Goodrich, Daisuke Shintani
Member of the Sculptors Society of Israel, 1991-present

Connection to Bucks County
Rabinkov and his wife, Irina, have lived in Springtown since 2008.

Major Solo Exhibitions
Cultural center in Ramat Ha-Sharon, Israel, 1996
C.A.S.E. Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, Jersey City, NJ, 1998
Safrai Art Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel, 1999
DBA Muzza Art Collections, Los Angeles, California, CA, 2000
Nama, Art Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2000
DBA Muzza Art Collections, Fort Collins, Colorado, CO, 2001
Graal Gallery, Agen, France, 2001-2009
Michael Lombardo Gallery, New York, NY, 2003-2008
Gratz College, Melrose Park, Philadelphia, PA, 2004

Major Group Exhibitions
Autumn Exhibition, Kishinev, Moldova, 1978, 1982
Republican State Sculpture Exhibition, Kishinev, Moldova, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1988
Sculpture for Landscape, Kishinev, Moldova, 1987
Young Artists Exhibition, Moscow, USSR, 1988
Autumn Exhibition, Group of Sanur Art Village, Sanur, Israel, 1990
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Tel Aviv, Israel, 1991
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Haifa, Israel, 1992, 1999
Sculptures Round in President’s Forest, Jerusalem, Israel, 1992
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Tel Aviv, Israel, 1993, 1997
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Jerusalem, Israel, 1994, 1999
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Paris, France, 1995
Olim Artists Exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel, 1995
Spring Exhibition, Group of Sanur Art Village, Sanur, Israel, 1996
ArtExspo, New York, NY, 1996
Young Russia, C.A.S.E. Museum, Jersey City, NJ, 1998
Exhibition Group of Sanur, Kiryat-Motzkin, Israel, 1999
The Gallery on the Cliff, Natania, Israel, 2000
Cultural Center, Natania, Israel, 2001, 2002
Associate Member Exhibition of Audubon Artists Inc., Oak Ridge, NY, 2004
Rockaway Artists Alliance, Inc. Rockaway Beach, Queens, NY, 2005
National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2005
Payne Gallery, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA, 2006
Kouros Gallery, New York, NY, 2008
Phillip’s Mill, 80th Annual Art Exhibition, New Hope, PA, 2009

Honors and Achievements
Admitted to Sculptors Society of Israel, 1991
Winner of Decorative Sculpture Competition in Natania, Israel, 2002; Sculpture installed in city square in 2003
Winner of the Art Global Competition of the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in New York City, NY, 2004