Aleksandra Ekster: A Pioneer of Russian Avant-Garde Aleksandra Ekster, a name now synonymous with the vibrant energy and radical experimentation of early 20th-century Russia, was far more than simply a painter; she was a pivotal figure in shaping the cultural landscape of her time. Born Aleksandra Aleksandrovna Grigorovich on January 6, 1882, in Białystok – then part of the Russian Empire, now Poland – her life unfolded against a back…