Robert Shlimak was born in Moscow (U.S.S.R.) on 31 March 1941 and lived in Baku (Azerbaijan) until 1989.
He had qualifications in Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Poetry Writing. He acquired a reputation of a Professional Artist participating in many popular art exhibitions in the former Soviet Union and overseas. Robert then spent some time living in Austria and Italy (1989-1990) and exhibited his works in France and Italy. In July 1990 together with his family, he has arrived in Australia.
Living in Melbourne, Robert has been working as a freelance art teacher, fine artist, illustrator and graphic designer. He has been participating in many group exhibitions and art shows (Bayside, Camberwell, Caulfield, Armadale, Chelsea, Knox) and also had solo exhibitions at the MRC and Linden galleries (St.Kilda), Brummel’s gallery (now Da Noi restaurant in South Yarra) and Melba Hall (University of Melbourne). During the last 30 years in Australia, he has created more than 500 paintings & graphical works, illustrated 8 books and designed more than 60 logos and posters for Melbourne businesses.
Robert was a member of Multicultural Arts of Victoria, the Committee member of BEZALEL Fellowship of Arts, Victoria and was the president of artistic club-café MUSE for almost 17 years.
Robert was also a talented poet and enjoyed working in various poetic genres, such as lyric, epic and satirical. In 1997 he published an illustrated anthology of his epigrams and caricatures depicting Melbournian artistic life. Robert was a winner of the Russian Literary Competition (2002) for the Russian-speaking community of Australia. He was the author of 100’s lyrical poems, more than 600 epigrams and dedications, about 50 poems and 18 poetic plays produced by the members of club MUSE which has been established by Robert & his wife Greta.
In 2002 Robert was commissioned to design and paint a wall mural for the Migrant Resource Centre in East Bentleigh. The mural with the theme of the search for happiness in the migration context has been completed within 3 months period and has been hanging at the centre since its creation.
Robert has received Victoria Award of Excellence in Multicultural Affairs and also awarded for his achievements in Arts and contribution to the Documentary CD called ‘Making Multicultural Australia’.
His works have won numerous awards and also commended at the various Art Exhibitions in Melbourne. In March 2019, a Retrospective Exhibition has taken place at Da Noi restaurant in South Yarra where about 50 of Robert’s works from the past 25 years went on display.
Many of his works are in private collections in Australia, USA, Israel, Italy, Russia. Some of his remaining works can be viewed on request.
Robert has passed away on 24 November 2020 and was buried at the Jewish Memorial No.4 – Rose Garden, Springvale Botanical Cemetery, in Melbourne, Australia.
Robert's online gallery can be viewed at http://robertshlimak.com.au.