Alexander Melamid first rose to fame as one half of the legendary Soviet Pop Art duo Komar & Melamid, the originators of Soviet Pop Art (Sots Art). Fusing humor, politics, and sharp social critique, their work challenged both Soviet and Western ideologies, and influenced the art world at large, including Andy Warhol and their other counterparts and friends in the west.

Despite strict government control, Komar & Melamid smuggled their work out of Russia in friends’ luggage, exhibiting in New York three times while still under Soviet rule.

Declared political dissidents by the Russian government, the duo relocated to New York in 1978, cementing their place as global art revolutionaries.

After their partnership ended in 2003, Melamid has continued his solo career, engaging with projects that intersect art, music, and his signature blend of satire and critique.