Born in 1929, Lila Ratner is a Moscow-based artist, graphic designer and art historian who has presented her art on many exhibitions in Russia and abroad. The artist's main area of interest was biblical themes. Ratner had strong ties to the Christian religion and the church. She has been involved in numerous jobs publishing Christian magazines for children and young people, and has also created illustrations for the Old Testament. Working with the Church, she undertook numerous conversations with clergymen on art and and how it is treated in Christianity. As she said herself, it was during these conversations that the question 'What is art, what is it for?' was born in her mind. An attempt to find answers to these questions resulted in a “Art and Christianity” lecture series conducted at the Public Orthodox University in Moscow.
Alongside her academic work - teaching art history - Ratner remained an active artist, constantly creating series of works referencing the Scripture. Until her death in 2016, she created series of works, such as 'Prophets' on the Old Testament, 'The People of the Bible in Auschwitz' addressing the tragedy of the Holocaust or 'New Martyrs' dedicated to the martyrs of conscience in totalitarian regimes. JO
