He became a professor in The National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture.
He became a professor in The National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture.
1936
Paris, France
Wassily Kandinsky in Paris
Paul Klee
Вадим Меллер
architect illustrator painter theatrical designer
Ethnicity:
His father was a noble-born Swede and his mother was half Italian and half Greek.
Vadym Meller was born on April 26, 1884 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. He was the second son of a top official in the Ministry of Justice in the Russian Empire. His father, George Meller, was a noble-born Swede; his mother, Helena Caruso, was half Italian and half Greek, and also from a noble family.
From 1903 to 1908, Meller studied at Kiev University. In 1905, he visited Geneva, Switzerland, where he took art lessons at the private school of Franz Roubaud. In 1908, with the recommendation of Roubaud, he continued his education at the private art school of drawing and painting of Heinrich Knirr in Munich, Germany. There, Meller met fellow student, Paul Klee, who introduced him to Der Blaue Reiter group.
After graduating from the Kiev University with a degree in law, he acquired an artistic education in the Munich Academy of Fine Arts from 1908 to 1912. Meller stayed in close contact with Der Blaue Reiter group. During this time, he also met Wassily Kandinsky, with whom he became friends.
From 1912 to 1914, Meller studied and exhibited in Paris, France, and took sculpture lessons with Antoine Bourdelle.
Meller started to exhibit his works after moving to Paris. In 1912-1914, together with Kazimir Malevich, Sonia Delaunay, Alexander Archipenko, and Aleksandra Ekster, he participated in a number of exhibitions (Salon des Indépendants, Spring Salon, and Salon D' Automne) alongside Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and André Derain.
After returning to Kiev in 1915, he worked at easel and monumental painting, graphic design, and costume design. His transition to scenography as his main field of artistic activity took place in the post-revolutionary years. From 1918 to 1921, he worked with scenographer and dancer Bronislava Nijinska in her ballet studio. In the end of that period he became a professor in The National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture.
In 1922, Les Kurbas invited Meller to the recently founded Berezil' theater.
Later, Vadym Meller, together with Sonia Terk, Alexandra Exter, and Nathan Altman, participated in Exposition Internationale des Modernes (Art Deco) in Paris in 1925 and in the International Theater Exposition in New York in 1926.
Meller became the leader of the Constructivism movement in Ukrainian theater design. He worked in the National theater as a chief artist until 1945. From 1925 onward, he also taught at the Kiev Art Institute (now the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture) together with Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Bogomazov.
In 1928 Vadim Meller participated in the International Press Exhibition Pressa Cologne, together with El Lissitzky, Aleksandr Tyshler and Vasyl Yermylov.
Meller worked as an acting director of the Monumental Painting and Sculpture Institute of the Academy of Architecture of the Ukrainian SSR from 1946 to 1948, a chief artist of the Kiev Music Comedy Theater in 1948-1953, and a chief artist of the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater between 1953 and 1959.
Vadym Meller died on May 4, 1962 in Kiev, Ukraine.
Vadym Meller was known as an outstanding avant-garde Cubist, Constructivist and Expressionist artist. He was the first artist to be awarded a gold medal for his scenic design of the Berezil' theater in the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (Art Deco) in Paris in 1925.
Composition
Costume Design
Costume Design
Uknown
Costume Design
Costume Design
A Sketch of a Man's Costume for the Play by E. Sinclair 'Jimmie Higgins'
Mask. For the Ballet Studio of B.Nizhinskaya
Costume Design
Sketch of the Decoration to the Performance 'Hello, on the Wave 477'
Set Design for 'King Lear'
Sketch of the Female Costume for the 'Assyrian Ballet'
Monk. For the Play 'Mazeppa'
Costume Design
Sketch of the Male Costume for the 'Assyrian Ballet'
Costume Design
During his stay in Paris, France between 1912 and 1914, Vadym Meller joined the Société des Artistes Indépendants.
In 1925, he became a member of the artists union Association of the Revolutionary Masters of Ukraine together with David Burliuk (co-founder), Alexander Bogomazov (co-founder).
Vadym Meller was married to Nina Genke-Meller.
In 1912-1914, together with Kazimir Malevich, Sonia Delaunay, Meller participated in a number of exhibitions in Paris, France.
In 1912-1914, together with Kazimir Malevich, Sonia Delaunay, Meller participated in a number of exhibitions in Paris, France.
