Early Life and Artistic Foundations Alexander Arkad'evich Labas, a name perhaps less immediately recognizable than some of his Avant-Garde contemporaries, nevertheless occupies a vital position in the narrative of 20th-century Russian art. Born on February 19, 1900, in Smolensk, Russia, Labas’s early life was marked by loss; the death of his mother cast a long shadow over his childhood and perhaps contributed to an introspective nature that would later manifest in his uniquely imaginative work. He began formal artistic training at the remarkably young age of six, demonstrating an innate apti…