Varvara Stepanova

Revolutionary constructivist artist who redefined Soviet visual culture

Varvara Stepanova (1894–1958) co-founded Constructivism, merging art with industrial production to serve the Soviet revolution. Her 1921 declaration Constructivism Must Become the Supreme Technology redefined artists as engineer-organizers.

Stepanova designed mass-produced textiles featuring geometric patterns symbolizing proletarian unity. Her LEF journal covers pioneered photomontage techniques later adopted by propaganda departments. As professor at VKhUTEMAS (Soviet Bauhaus), she created the first curriculum integrating art with machinery.

Her 1922 Sportswear collection introduced unisex designs promoting gender equality—revolutionary when most women wore corsets. Stepanova's theater costumes used movable parts allowing actors to transform characters mid-performance, influencing modern kinetic art.