Born Lazar Markovich Lissitzky in 1890 near Smolensk, Russia, young El showed an early aptitude for art. His childhood was marked by a curiosity that would later blossom into groundbreaking innovation. As a Jewish youth in Tsarist Russia, Lissitzky faced numerous challenges, but these early struggles only fueled his desire to create a new visual language that could transcend cultural boundaries.

"The artist constructs a new symbol with his brush. This symbol is not a recognizable form of anything that is already finished, already made, or already existent in the world - it is a symbol of a new world, which is being built upon and which exists by way of people." - El Lissitzky

Lissitzky's impact on graphic design cannot be overstated. He brought the principles of Suprematism into the realm of typography and layout, creating a new visual language that still influences designers today. His innovative use of photomontage, bold geometric shapes, and dynamic compositions revolutionized poster design and book illustration.

One of his most significant contributions was the concept of the "Proun" - an acronym for "Project for the Affirmation of the New" in Russian. These were abstract compositions that existed somewhere between painting and architecture, embodying Lissitzky's vision of a total art that could reshape the world.

While Lissitzky's architectural projects were largely conceptual, they had a profound impact on the field. His "Cloud Iron" skyscraper project for Moscow (1924) proposed horizontal skyscrapers that would stride across the city on legs. Though never built, this visionary concept influenced generations of architects and urban planners.