Today we want to introduce you to the imaginative ceramics by Russian artist Irina Razumovskaya, whose encounter with art started when she was as little as 5 years old and with regular visits to the Hermitage Museum and the Kustodiev Art School the following year.
Irina was never too fond of Russian “cliché” cultural attributes. But after some time living in the UK, like many other immigrants before her, she started to feel nostalgic of Saint Petersburg’s views, nature, subtle grey colors and slightly dilapidated urban environment. It was then when, unexpectedly to her self, she turned to Russian cultural origins as inspiration for her art work forms.
For her ceramic collection “Barkskin”, Irina Razumovskaya looked at Soviet and post Soviet constructivist and Urbanist architecture (can we assume a few Brutalist buildings were among them?). As a surface, Irina wanted to give “an impression of peeling layers – something that resembles birch trees, paint layers on abandoned walls”. This translated into that slightly melancholic feeling we perceive when looking at her sculptures, like if they were touched with time, animated and full of memories.
It is a reflection on her own reality and everyday life that inspires Irina Razumovskaya‘s work. This is imbued with personal meaning that the artist prefers to remain, hidden and ambiguous to the viewer.
Regarding the craft aspect of her work, Irina creates a core made of strong, geometric stoneware clay. The various layers of ceramic materials are applied subsequently. Then, all these materials start to melt and “peel” in the firing, creating an unexpected result. Fascinated by the versatile quality of clay, Irina who has been working with clay for the last 10 years, also underlines “[this] is always a dialogue that I have with the material, as I have a lot of respect for it. Clay has always united all the cultures for at least 10.000 years and does it even today”.
Being entranced by art at the age of five, Irina’s journey towards her art practice has not stopped ever since. Throughout her school and university years, Irina participated in Art History lecture program in the Hermitage Museum, which served to strengthen her fascination with the fine art, archaeology and ceramics.
She graduated in 2017 from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London for her MA in Ceramics and Glass, she graduated in 2017 with overall Excellent grade.
Her main form of artistic expression is ceramics and painting. Irina Razumovskaya’s art works have been a part of various international competitions and curated exhibitions, and have been exhibited across the world. Are you interested in knowing more about the latest discoveries in the art scene? Check our Arts and crafts series here.
