Whisper of the Earth, Song of the Fire: A New Breath of Russian Ceramics

In the last 10 years, the world of Russian ceramics has undergone an explosive transition from complete obscurity to a wildly popular pursuit, with its fruits visible everywhere from handmade markets to museum exhibitions. The sharp rise in interest in this ancient art was slightly hindered by the sanctions imposed in the country, which reduced the supply of materials—high-quality clay and glazes. However, artists did not abandon their ambitious creative plans and found ways to adapt, rediscovering their secret recipes. The splendid results of their experiments are on display right now! From April 23 to 27, one of the most significant museum projects, SALON de 4CERAMICS, is taking place at the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts. Over 40 artists from all regions of the country have presented their new works in ceramics and glass.

What is ceramics telling us today?

Literally, we can hear its voice as the sound of cracking clay, from which water gradually evaporates, when approaching the exhibition's largest object—the head of Orpheus. Through this act, the artists allow us to feel, through visual and auditory associations, the fragility of the material and the importance of adhering to the drying technology of the finished piece. Clay, as an element of the earth, undergoes its first trial by water and then its second—by air. Every master knows how treacherous mistakes and violations of technology can be, where poorly or too quickly dried pieces develop cracks and may even fall apart during firing.

It should be noted that the theme of the SALON de 4CERAMICS 2025 exhibition is modernity in two aspects: from the perspective of modern technological engineering solutions for clay processing—such as printing on a printer or shaping clay with a robot—and from the standpoint of the artists' own innovative techniques.

What new stories are artists telling us through this ancient material today?

MARIA KESLER in her wall panels, reminiscent of abstract landscapes of desert lands, showcases the endless diversity of forms and elements of ceramic mosaics. When assembled, they simultaneously evoke the monumental facade decorations of modernist architecture and cozy textile panels in interiors.

ART BY FIRE, LERA ZHAVORONKOVA, and MARGARITA AZAROVA have each interpreted the classic genre of ceramic vases and lamps in very different ways. Totems, fantastical flowers and plants, cocoon-matryoshkas—what viewers always perceive as the most understandable creations from clay—are nevertheless infinitely variable in the hands of each artist.

VIKTORIA GUSTAREVA, NIKITA MAKAROV, and MILK PRINCESS reinterpret cultural codes through fairy-tale motifs, modernizing traditional folk vessels with decorative details, and calling for an expanded perception of matryoshka-matrices.

NATALIA ASTAKHOVA, in her collection of totem-objects, reminds us of the simplicity of constructivist ideas, minimizing decor and surface treatment.

Nature—an endlessly beloved and abundant source of ideas and inspiration—plays a central role for almost all the artists.

NADEZHDA LIM composes and successfully realizes highly complex forms reminiscent of exotic flowers, fruits, and caterpillars.

KERAMLIKA creates mirror-panels from intricately woven decorative thickets of the most beautiful flowers and leaves.

ANGELA KAMENEVA found her source of beauty in withering leaves, whose intricate shapes and textures she captured in large vases and hanging objects.

EKATERINA YAKOVLEVA dedicated her exhibition to the main character of Russian fairy tales—the bear, rendering it both fearsome and endearing. However, in her decorative wall-mounted animal masks, the artist chose to showcase their wild nature, perhaps as protectors of the home from evil spirits.

OLGA GENDEL, also inspired by mythology, created a bestiary collection, transferring the images of mythical beasts from their usual architectural settings into household items and miniature panels.

MARINA GRONINA and IGOR VASILIEV. Masks, characters—some dead, some sleeping, and some yet to be born but soon to arrive—such are the themes of this creative duo. Their wall panels depict the chronicles of a traveling theater or a library of scripts, with characters executed at the highest level of craftsmanship.

One of the strongest influences on contemporary ceramists has been the artistic heritage of Japanese ceramics, where the principles of Eastern aesthetics are expressed most vividly.

The creative duo TISH, adhering to these principles, work on a collection of minimalist vases, perfecting only the beauty of textures while maintaining a single chosen form.

INOUI KERAMIKA created their "Murmansk" vase collection within the same form but, through surfaces and textures, managed to convey the mood of the White Sea and the sparse, rugged stone landscapes of the North.

Amazing, mesmerizing, and astounding works were presented by artists working with glass.

YULIA DYUBENKO achieves the impossible by stripping glass of its materiality, turning each of her objects into nearly levitating clouds, leaving them only air and color.

MARINA and ANASTASIA PRIBELSKIE combine the finest threads of glass sprouts with ceramics, giving birth to new kinds of sea creatures.

ELENA KIRILLOVA, with the meticulous plan of a creator, crafts dandelion lamps and assembles floral panels from the tiniest glass elements.