Boris Zaborov (1935-2021)
Boris Zaborov, BD”E (1935-2021).
Boris Zaborov
Before this outstanding artist was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1980, he had created a series of remarkable book illustrations. My Mom Irina Slepovitch worked on some of those books, Oscar Wilde’s fairytales, together with Boris as a translator (into Belarusian), and this is how his name entered my memory as a child.
Oscar Wilde's Fairytales translated into Belarusian by Irina Slepovitch and illustrated by Boris Zaborov (1977).
Years later, when Boris Zaborov earned a name as a notable Parisian artist, his painting was on exhibit at Uffizi Galleries, and his inimitable artistic concepts and technique won attention and hearts of many, he remained intimately connected to his homeland, Belarus.
It was a happy coincidence that even later, in 2009, I briefly met and jammed with his son, the composer Kirill Zaborov in Paris. It was such an unbelievable coincidence that I thought it was a divine providence.
The story of my family’s friendship with Boris Zaborov came full circle when the artist graciously granted my band Litvakus the right to use his untitled rustic landscape painting for the album art of our CD Raysn: The Music of Jewish Belarus (2014).
Boris Zaborov's untitled rustic painting used on Litvakus' album Raysn: The Music of Jewish Belarus. Logo / design by Ilusha Tsinadze.
That meant a lot to me. Connecting worlds, generations, ideas, feeling rooted, and so much more. I only wish I had had a chance of meeting Boris in person, which never happened. I am sending my thoughts and wishes of comfort to Boris’s family, Irina and Kirill. Your husband and father will be remembered fondly through his work and legacy.