Ilyá Chashnik shawl

One of the most prominent figures of the Russian avant-garde after the Revolution. A disciple of Kazimir Malevich and member of the Unovis group, he explored Suprematism through geometric compositions of utopian spirit, where colour, form and space merge in a pursuit of balance and harmony. He also brought these principles into everyday design, demonstrating that art could be integrated into all aspects of life.

Ilyá Chashnik was a young Suprematist artist who studied at the Vitebsk Artistic-Practical Institute between 1919 and 1922 under the influence of Kazimir Malevich. A member of Unovis, he took part in the 1923 Petrograd exhibition, possibly with his Suprematist Composition, now part of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. In this work, Chashnik depicts floating geometric forms that suggest a utopian architecture seen from above, following the non-objective ideals of Suprematism. Inspired by El Lissitzky’s Prouns, he integrated art and architecture. He also applied these principles to porcelain design, collaborating with the Lomonosov ceramics factory.

The Ilyà cashmere shawl inspired by art is a reinterpretation of Obra Suprematista. Oil on canvas, 183.5 × 112 cm, created in 1923.

In this painting, of which several versions exist, Chashnik follows the Suprematist ideas of interpreting reality through non-objective means. He proposes a utopian image composed of floating geometric figures or architectural forms in free flight, establishing a precise rhythmic system that creates kinetic tension. As in El Lissitzky’s Prouns, these compositions by Chashnik, which suggest an aerial view of an architectural complex, achieve a perfect fusion of art and architecture.