Contents
Kazimir Malevich
Creating Black Square and founding Suprematism, an art of pure geometric forms.
Victory over the Sun · Black Square
- Born
- 23 February 1879
- Birthplace
- Kyiv, present-day Ukraine
- Died
- 15 May 1935
More people
Kazimir Malevich
Avant-garde artist born in Kyiv to a Polish family. His paintings and theories made a radical break with representation and helped shape twentieth-century abstraction.
Early life
Rural surroundings
Spent much of his childhood in towns and villages connected with his father’s sugar-industry work.
Artistic training
Developed his painting through study and experimentation before joining Moscow’s avant-garde circles.
Career
- 1900s–1913
Avant-garde experiments
Moved through several styles and collaborated on experimental theatre.
- 1915
Suprematism
Exhibited abstract geometric paintings and set out his new artistic theory.
- 1920s–1930s
Teaching and pressure
Worked in art schools and institutes as Soviet cultural policy became increasingly restrictive.
Selected work
Victory over the Sun
Designed sets and costumes for an experimental opera.
Black Square
A black quadrilateral became a defining image of nonrepresentational art.
White on White
A tilted white square explores subtle differences of tone and surface.
Beyond work
Cultural background
His life crossed Polish, Ukrainian and Russian cultural settings.
State restrictions
Faced official suspicion and a period of detention as the political climate turned against the avant-garde.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
