In July 2023, the Fine Arts Ceramic Center awarded its first residency to the Ukrainian artist and ceramist Boris Danilov. A meticulous review of his work revealed an exotic spirituality, unusual for the cultural environment of South Florida. Naturally, his sources and roots could not be more distinct. The Ukrainian people evolved in a complex context where multiple civilizations and cultures coexisted. These tumultuous historical circumstances culminated with the yoke of Soviet Communism.
During this period of both political and cultural domination, the region was practically reduced to an industrial wasteland, where neither cultural needs nor expressions were given attention. It was only after Ukraine's declaration of independence that its people and artists embarked on a radical review and reconstruction of their culture. Contemporary art movements emerged that broke away from the traditions of socialist realism, favoring experimentation and innovation. Artists like Oksana Mas and the members of the "R.E.P." (Revolutionary Experimental Space) group gained notoriety for their works that challenged traditional norms. Many artworks that had been censored or banned during the Soviet era were recovered and exhibited, and suppressed styles and movements, such as early 20th-century Ukrainian modernism, were rediscovered.
This novel engagement with Danilov's art left the Fine Arts Ceramic Center’s curatorial committee eager to explore more of this intriguing culture, leading us to the work of another Ukrainian artist and ceramist, Gerbi Tsesarskaia, at her studio in the Bakehouse Art Complex.
Tsesarskaia recreates a world that emerges from the interaction between Nature and the human creative spirit. From her ceramic objects, even those that suggest potential utilitarian use, memories of the landscapes of her early years emerge. The pine and cedar-covered mountains surrounding Lake Baikal—known as the Blue Eye of Siberia—and the vast and spectacular steppes are almost recurring motifs in her artistic production. Furthermore, she draws inspiration from the tranquility of the Armenian mountains, the watery grays, pale blues, and pinks of St. Petersburg’s magnificent buildings, and the curves of its countless rivers, canals, and bridges.
The techniques she has developed to shape her pieces resemble or imitate the workings of natural forces: fierce winds, massive bodies of water, and all-penetrating sand dunes, capable of eroding and transforming giant rocks. The material she uses is grolleg porcelain, fired in gas kilns, whether soda or reduction. She often subjects her work to multiple firings, combining both methods, until achieving the desired effect. Essentially, her intention is to breathe life into a man-made object and give it the appearance of a creature that blends into a natural environment, whether it be a seashore, a forest, or a riverbank.
The Fine Arts Ceramic Center is currently collaborating with Gerbi Tsesarskaia to realize her upcoming solo exhibition in one of its galleries.
