Sometimes described as a “Renaissance man,” with immense erudition and insatiable curiosity, Iliazd (1894–1975) was one of the greatest typographers of the 20th century.
Iliazd, Poet and Architect of the Book
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Sometimes described as a “Renaissance man,” with immense erudition and insatiable curiosity, Iliazd (1894–1975) was one of the greatest typographers of the 20th century.
Sometimes described as a “Renaissance man,” with immense culture and insatiable curiosity, Iliazd (1894–1975) is one of the greatest typographers of the 20th century. It is to this Georgian artist, whose real name was Ilia Zdanevitch and who rubbed shoulders with Jean Arp, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Michel Seuphor, Léopold Survage, and Tristan Tzara, that the Pierre André Benoit Museum-Library in Alès is dedicating an exhibition from April 10 to October 31, 2026.
Iliazd was also a poet, printer, and publisher of fine books where poetry and engraving go hand in hand. For him, typography was more than just a tool in the service of poetry; it was an integral part of it. To produce the books he published at Degré 41, Iliazd enlisted the many artists he had encountered throughout his eclectic career, including his friend Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. All agreed to create engravings within the framework he had defined for each book.
This volume presents this extraordinary figure and his contribution to the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, having remained faithful throughout his life to the freedom forged in the crucible of Russian Futurism. Through Iliazd’s art of typography and layout, the reader discovers exceptional and rare works drawn from an unpublished iconographic collection. Part art book, part heritage and history book, this aesthetically rich volume is intended for a broad audience of book lovers and enthusiasts.
With the collaboration of:
François Mairé, president of the Iliazd-Club
Françoise Nicol, professor emerita of literature and arts at the University of Nantes and specialist in the relationship between poetry and painting in the modern era
André Markowicz, French translator, editor, and poet
Antoine Perriol, art history researcher.
Antoine Coron, archivist-paleographer, general curator of libraries.
Philippe Rekacewicz, French cartographer, geographer, and information designer
The book is published in co-edition with the Pierre André Benoit Museum-Library in Alès.
Data sheet
- Number of pages
- 144
- ISBN
- 978-2-36306-385-4
- Technique
- Paperback
- Publication date
- april 2026
Zdanevitch (Ilia)
Ilia Zdanevitch was born in 1894 in Tiflis (the former name of Tbilisi), the capital of Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire. In 1912, while studying in Saint Petersburg, Ilia Zdanevitch frequented avant-garde circles that brought together painters and poets at the dawn of Russian Futurism.
In 1920, he left Georgia for Paris, where he reunited with his friends and quickly became part of the avant-garde scene. Under the pseudonym Iliazd, he gave numerous lectures and actively participated in organizing the Great Russian Balls. In 1923, a typographic masterpiece, *Ledentu le phare*, was first published under the name Iliazd. From 1940 through 1974, Iliazd then conceived and produced a series of works for which he was the sole creator.
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