Chashnik Ilya

Ilya Chashnik (1902-1929) – Soviet artist, designer. One of the closest students of Kazimir Malevich; consistent suprematist.

Chashnyk developed the ideas of his teacher K. Malevich, creating a significant amount of pointless painting and graphics, strict on the “weightless-cosmic” composition of the form, and considering himself a complete supporter of Malevich.

He shared the principles of suprematic color painting, in contrast to other students and associates of Malevich, whose interests were focused on picturesque realism (Yermolaeva, Yudin, Sterligov). According to Malevich’s method, he worked on the principle of contrast. Restricted personal color scheme to the use of white, black, red and blue.

Researchers note in the artist’s work “an extremely dynamic concept of the life of forms that have absorbed the meaning of the most picturesque field.”

Possessing an analytical mind, he studied philosophy and theory of painting. The artist defined objectless painting “as a higher state of consciousness”, “culture of magnetic forces, dynamic excitation, rhythm”. “Suprematism – the worldview of objectless, natural and cosmic compositions.”

For one year, from 1923 to 1924, he worked at the State Porcelain Factory as an “artist-composer for the study and production of artistic samples of compositional forms.”

In the period from 1923 to 1924 he completed several projects for painting cups and sets. He used his own paintings and graphics to paint compositions. He also painted porcelain on Malevich’s models. In the painting of porcelain, the artist preferred black, large elements of his Suprematist drawings had a sharp brightness, and the compositions were closed with wide black ribbons on the edges of objects.