Alexander Reichstein

Alexander Reichstein was born in 1957, in Moscow, Russia. 1976-1982 he studied printed media design and illustration at the Moscow Polygraphical institute. 1982-1985 he worked as art director in the "Iskusstvo" ("Art") publishing house in Moscow. Since 1982, he has worked for various Moscow publishers, designing and illustrating books for adults and children.

Alexander has lived and worked in Helsinki, Finland, since 1990, illustrating children books for Swiss, Austrian, German, American, Russian and Finnish publishers, painting pictures and making sculptures for children, leading workshops, building up big exhibitions and installations in a wide range of institutions - from day care centers to libraries and art museums. 1992-1994 and 2006-2008 he was teaching at the University for Art and Design Helsinki.

The projects created by Alexander, are exhibitions for children and adults, where visitors can be active both mentally and physically, and experience unusual artistic impressions with all their senses. His art work has been exhibited in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Iceland, Italy, France, Japan. It is to be seen in several collections in Finland, Russia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Israel, U.S.A.

A book illustrated by Alexander was granted the Finlandia Junior prize in 1997. For his exhibition project Alexander was granted the Topelius Medal in 1999. In 2008, Alexander was granted the Finnish State Award in children's culture. In 2016, he was granted with the award of the Swedish Literature Society in Finland. A.R. is member of Association of Finnish Sculptors, Finnish Illustrators Association, Grafia, Union of Moscow Artists.