Švankmajer, Jan
Jan Švankmajer (1934–) is a Czech surrealist visual artist, primarily known for his film works. He studied puppetry and theatre at university and began his…
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Trnka, Jiŕí (1912–1969)
Jiŕí Trnka (pronounced “Yershy Trinka”) was the foremost Czech puppet animator and a major influence on all subsequent Eastern European puppet animators. He trained under…
Dadaism
Dada began in Zurich, Switzerland, in the midst of World War I. Several expatriate artists converged in the city to escape the brutal and seemingly…
Starevich, Vladislav (1882–1965)
Pioneering puppet animator Vladislav Starevich was born to Polish parents in political exile in Moscow. He initially filmed ethnographic and entomological subjects for Moscow’s Khanzhonkov…
Liu, Na’o (1905–1940)
On 3 September 1940 Liu Na’ou (1905–40), the Taiwan-born, Japan-educated leader of the Shanghai Neo-Sensation School, was killed by an unknown gunman. He had just…
Nabaa, Nazir (1938--)
Nazir Nabaa, a respected Syrian painter, made his greatest contributions to Arab modern art in the 1960s and 1970s, when he contributed to the graphic…
Taeuber, Sophie (1889–1943)
Artist Sophie Taeuber’s career spanned a variety of movements, including Dada and Constructivism, and media, such as textile arts, interior design, architecture, painting, and sculpture.…
Agitprop Theatre
Now widely used as a catchall term to describe politically combative or oppositional art, “agitprop” originated from the early Soviet conjunction of propaganda (raising awareness…
Shōchiku Company Limited [松竹株式会社]
Shōchiku Company Limited [松竹株式会社] is a Japanese entertainment gaint that owns theaters, film studios, production companies for motion pictures and theater, real estate, and other…
Mu, Shiying (1912–1940)
A leading member of the Shanghai-based New Sensationist Movement (xin ganjuepai), Mu Shiying is best known for a set of short stories he wrote in…
Cahun, Claude (1894–1953)
One of the emblematic figures of the French avant-garde, Claude Cahun was born Lucy Renée Mathilde Schwob on October 25, 1894 in Nantes, the niece…
Directors/Directing
Although some official has organized the acting and scenery in theatrical performances since ancient Greece, the director only emerged as a significant creative figure in…
Deboo, Astad (1947--)
Astad Deboo’s name is synonymous with Contemporary Indian Dance, a style that he pioneered at a time when innovations in Indian dance were not welcomed.…
Tsai Jui-Yueh (1921–2005)
Tsai Jui-Yueh was a concert dance pioneer in Taiwan. Born under Japanese colonial rule of the island (1895–1945), Tsai was one of the first Taiwanese…
Parade
A one-act ballet on the theme of a fairground sideshow, Parade was produced by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and premiered on May 18, 1917 at…
Cohl, Emile (1857–1938)
Emile Cohl (Emile Eugène Jean Louis Courtet), a renowned caricaturist and pioneering filmmaker born in Paris, is often credited with inventing the animated cartoon. In…
Craig, Edward Gordon (1872–1966)
Edward Gordon Craig was one of the leading figures of modernist theater. His books, stage designs, manifestos, and collaborations all contributed to an understanding of…
Blixen, Karen (1885–1962)
Karen Blixen was a singular figure in 20th century Danish literary life. In the 1930s, when Blixen started writing, Danish literature was dominated by social…
Al-Naqqāsh, Mārūn مارون النقاش (1817–55)
Mārūn Al-Naqqāsh is often seen as the father of modern Arabic drama. He was born in Sidon, but grew up in Beirut. After a traditional…
Affandi (1907–1990)
Affandi was an Indonesian modernist artist best known for his expressive paintings depicting scenes of everyday life and his own emotional states, as well as…
Gunawan, Hendra (1918–1983)
Known in Indonesia as the peoples’ painter, Hendra Gunawan was born in Bandung. Family circumstances were strained with a father who gambled and his parents…
Zhu, Tianwen (1956– )
In Taiwan, the Zhu family is like the Brontës of England, known for their literary achievements. Zhu Tianyi, youngest of the three, is a fluent…
Chang, Eileen (Zhang, Ailing) (1920–2005)
Eileen Chang was one of the most unique and distinguished voices in early twentieth century China. Focusing mostly on intricate family and romantic relations in…
Caturla, Alejandro (1906--1940)
Alejandro García Caturla was a prominent figure in the twentieth century art music of Cuba, and leading exponent of the Afrocubanismo movement. He helped define…
Fuller, Loie (1862–1928)
Loie Fuller was a founding figure of modern dance. After an early career in American vaudeville, she moved to Paris where she created a new…