When I think of breakfast, especially unhurried Sunday breakfast, I think of eggs. These sets is an improvisation on the nature of soft-boiled egg, its capability to overflow the boundaries of the hard shell. My intent was to mimic these qualities by contrasting the flowing and draping interior with a hard faceted unglazed exterior of a vessel.
Unlikely balance.
This series is a study of a split and union. How to we perceive a union? How much the distance, and likeness is part of the perception of union? In this work I explore different ways to join two forms and balance them in the space. As the work on these series progressed, the vulnerability of unlikely balance became a focus of these series.
My recent work was inspired by the Oribe tradition, the magic of a broken pattern, and the power of an obstructed view. Although my materials and surfaces are different from those used in XVI century Japan, I feel that my work is connected to the Oribe of pursuit of the subtle beauty of incomplete. I like to use low-fire terracotta clay and terra sigillata because it gives a smooth feel to the unglazed surface, and provides an intimate feel to the object.
A bulletin of news is a frequent companion of your morning cup of coffee. This piece is a meditation on these strange pairings. Decal images used for these cups are fragments of photos made by correspondents who followed the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
I do not know about you, but I do not enjoy carving butter from a hard frozen brick. I like it to be soft and creamy. My Ukrainian grandma used to keep butter in a jar filled with water in a cellar and it lasted long and always was just right. Many years later, I heard from a friend about a French butter crock and last year finally decided to make one for me. Pretty soon it developed into a series. I like to explore this two-part vessel: the lower jar is filled with water and the upper part holds the butter. What keeps me interested in this form, is ‘inside- to-outside’ switch, when the upper part is flipped and becomes a serving dish. It creates a room for a surprise.
Sometimes life gets so harsh, that the only solution left is to flee your home, your city, your country. And the only treasure one can take on the road is love, and if you’re lucky, happy memories from childhood, and may be a silly lullaby. And when the journey becomes unbearable, the lullaby’s simple words provide a subtle frame, a sanctuary that carries one through the hostility and destruction all around, helping you survive and remain human.