Ceramics no borders
The School also offers many opportunities for international artists to study. This year, three Russian students were hosted to create decorative projects also displayed inside the school. Let's get to know them better:
ALEXEY
Alexey is an active artist working with various materials such as ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing, 3D graphics, and computer graphics. In 2012, he enrolled at the Moscow State Academy of Design and Applied Arts, where he attended a professional retraining program in monumental and decorative art. In 2015, he completed a diploma project: a stained glass window for the Alma-Atinskaya subway station, which attracted attention for its originality. His training continued at the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design in St. Petersburg and in the sculpture workshop under the guidance of renowned sculptor A.V. Gubko. These years were crucial to his development as an artist.
Since 2019, Alexey has been actively participating in exhibitions and plein air, perfecting his skills at the N.G. Bodrikova School of Ceramics. He is constantly learning new materials and technologies, such as digital 3D modeling in Blender, Zbrush, Fusion 360, and drawing in Procreate on iPads. Modern technologies allow him to combine traditional and digital techniques, creating unique works of art.
His latest work, a series of ceramic sculptures entitled Faces Under the Hood: Humanrace, explores the theme of diversity and similarity among people. Inspired by observing passengers in the Moscow subway, he uses the hood as a unifying symbol, showing that people of different ages, professions, and cultures can hide beneath it. In this series he plays with contrasting shapes, colors and textures, emphasizing the idea that despite our differences, we are all connected by a shared humanity. Alexey's works are an invitation to reflection and dialogue, aiming to unite people through art and demonstrate that diversity is intrinsically linked to unity.
NATALIA BABAYAN
Natalia Babayan is an interior designer and artist living and working in Moscow. She holds degrees in interior design and monumental art (art in architecture). Her design education was strongly influenced by the design studies of Italian architects of the years 1945-2000. Five years ago, she began to devote herself to ceramics. The object Natalia chose to create in the course of ceramic product design recalls a toy from her childhood, to which she applied a decoration inspired by the traditional marble facades of Tuscan churches and the rough surfaces of their frescoes, following the architectural principle of the prevalence of form over decoration.
IANA
Iana discovered her love for ceramics a few years ago, when she began taking classes with a famous Moscow ceramist in parallel with her business career. After moving from Moscow to Amsterdam and back, she has not stopped producing. "Working with clay gives me a sense of tranquility and comfort," says Iana. She mainly focuses on making functional objects or decorative objects involving animals or nature, in a playful and somewhat naïve way. In March 2024, Iana spent a month at the Experimental Ceramics Center, exploring modeling techniques and new ways of decorating the surface of ceramics. At the same time there was a big dive into the history of Italian ceramic design, as well as local culture. Thus the ceramic puppies series was born. Giochiamo consists of several toy-like ceramic puppies with balls and cubes, decorated in different colors. The prototype is Luna, the author's beloved dog, and it is designed to bring positive emotions and joy to anyone who looks at it. It is a reminder for all of us to keep this "playful" part alive.
Italian 
English