Sophie Taeuber-Arp

Sophie Taeuber met Hans Arp in 1915, and together they explored the possibilities of abstract form and became leading figures on the Zürich Dada scene (they would marry in 1922). An accomplished dancer—she studied under Rudolf von Laban—Taeuber-Arp performed at Cabaret Voltaire evenings. As a painter, sculptor, and designer, she developed an austere geometric style. From 1916 to 1928, she taught at the Zürich School of Arts and Crafts. After moving to Paris in 1928, she dove into the artistic life of the city, becoming a member of the Cercle et Carré group and later the Abstraction-Création group. She and Arp built a house at Meudon-Val-Fleury, near Paris, based on her designs. From 1937 to 1939, she published and edited the journal Plastique, dedicated to abstract art. Sophie and Hans fled Paris to southern France in advance of the German invasion in 1940. She died in Zürich in 1943.