Varvara Stepanova

Born 1894 in Kovno (now Kaunas, Lithuania) to the peasant family. 1910-11 (ca) studies at the Kazan School of Art, Odessa, where she meets Rodchenko whom she subsequently marries. 1912 moves to Moscow, attends the Stroganov School (1913-14) and studies with Konstantin Yuon and Ilya Mashkov. With Rodchenko leases an appartment owned by Kandinsky 1919 becomes involved with the Futurist poets, composing zaum' ('transrational') poetry herself and producing collaged and handwritten books, including Rtny Khomle, Zigra ar and her masterpiece Gaust Chaba (all 1918), in which she wrote her zaum' text on newspaper. After the Revolution she works in the Museums office of the Department of Fine Arts (IZO) in Narkompros (the People's Commissariat for Enlightenment). 1919 contributes to the Fifth State Exhibition and the Tenth State Exhibition. From c. 1921 teaches at the Academy of Social Education. 1922 designs the sets for The Death of Tarelkin. 1923, with Lyubov Popova, becomes designer of textiles at the Tsindel (the First State Textile Factory) near Moscow. 1924 becomes professor of textile design at the Vkhutemas while continuing typography, book design and contributing to the magazine LEF. Died 1958 in Moscow.