Showing courage in Ukraine with a handful of clay

This article is part of the Design Special Section on Respect for Handmade Objects.

In late August 2020, eight humanoid statues appeared on the quiet corner of Coralafia in the Kiev Conservation Area, a 12-acre museum complex centered around San Sofia Cathedral of 1,000 years ago. Clay and copper sculptures called “shadows” – each faceless sculpture, with a torsolli-like shape planted in a cylindrical base, made by Yuriy Myrko, co-founder of Kiev's Ghosn Ceramics for the annual Bouquet Keeve Stage Festival.

“The people who maintain the cathedral decided they liked sculptures and suggested they keep them there,” said Bogdan Kribosheya, 30, who founded Ghosn with 41-year-old Mirko and the studio's creative director. “The exhibition only lasted about a week, but the sculpture remained there for almost three years.”

“Shadows” marked a turning point for Ghosn, but up until then most of them produced practical items such as vases and bowls. The numbers reflect ideas about relationships, death, and spirituality. Since their arrival, Gorn has continued to produce emotional works of art along with more practical products. Enhanced by war with Russia and the unpredictability of the future, studio production is a testament to creative freedom and resilience in the face of unimaginable difficulties.

Kryvosheya and Myrko met in 2017 and together with their third partner, Sasha Mychak, founded Ghosn the following year, creating ceramic tableware designed by them and other artists.

Two years after the company began, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Two years later, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Despite the challenges caused by invasion, restrictions on access to resources, unstable power supply, obstacles to transportation and travel, and the looming risks of conscription — are thriving. This is partly thanks to the international market, thanks to its low-energy production means, the human hands that form local clay baked in wood-baked ki.

It is also helped by collective management. Working with Kryvosheya and Myrko (Mychak is no longer with the studio), the three artists practice independently while creating works under the Ghosn Label.

Yuriy Sulikovsky contributed to the vase of flame. This burns in wood form for hours at temperatures of inflammation as smoke and ash interact with the clay and produce stripes and dapples. Dmytro Yakub works as an apprentice to Myrko, supporting her day-to-day operations and contributing to several different collections.

Sanamorow, an art dealer who sells his studio's work in a Ukrainian-themed design shop in Paris, said: (Prices range from $45 for a bowl to $12,000 for a sculpture.)

Moreau, who moved from Ukraine to France in 2021, said he is working with more than 20 Ukrainian designers and studios. Ghosn said, “Even the most complex and unusual ideas can be implemented for modern interiors. One of their strengths is the ceramic sculptures that touch on complex philosophical topics.”

Like many household goods producers around the world, Kribosheya said the pandemic was a boon for his company. Those stuck indoors during the government-mandated lockdown became eager to improve their homes.

Perhaps not so predictable was that Russia had made profits for months after it was attacked. In addition to Ms. Ms. Ms. Ghosn has been represented by several international galleries and design retailers before the world's eyes transformed sympathetic to Ukraine.

“When a full-scale invasion occurred, it was one of the triggers that allowed them to get our work,” Kribosheya said, adding that Ghosn had an increase in sales in the year following the invasion by 30%.

Additionally, the spotlights in Ukrainian designs are not dimmed. Morrow estimated that since February 2022, Ukraine's design exports have at least tripled for most clients.

“Things weren't bought out of pity, but simply because they're more noticeable,” she said. The designer, who refuses to prevent fear, is hindering his life. “For the first time, there was something that really offered European and American markets.”

The dire situation's growth is that Ghosn looks beyond its own commercial interests to nurture the local arts community. “Our goals have deepened and moved beyond the general desire to create unique works, moving towards a broader mission of fostering creative and cultural growth,” Kribosheya said.

Last year we opened a school that teaches all aspects of pottery, including how clay acts as a expressive medium or how it acts as an escape from everyday life during the war.

Approximately 40 students have registered for the workshop. Many are “old people” with successful careers in technology and business, Kribosheya said. “They want to finally do something for their souls.”

He is optimistic about what he described as a life challenge. “If you're just sitting at home and crying all the time, there's nothing,” he said. “The chances of us dying are higher than before, but what can we do? There's nothing, but we just move forward.”