100 Women Artists

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Oleksandra Ekster

Portrait by Tanya Kornienko · click to enlarge

Oleksandra Ekster

avant-garde painter, stage designer · 1882–1949

Oleksandra is considered a representative of European Cubism and Futurism and of the Ukrainian avant-garde, and one of the founders of the Art Deco style. While working on her portrait, Tanya discovered that the artist began her creative journey in Kyiv and sought inspiration in Ukrainian folk art.

This shaped the imagery of her paintings and her bright colour palette. Her contemporaries recalled that Oleksandra sought out folk embroidery and weaving in the villages — pieces that decorated her home and created an atmosphere that helped her modernise designs and build something new.

Part of the 100 Women Artists project
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