TOP 3 potters of Ukraine

TOP 3 potters of Ukraine

10 Sep 2024

Perhaps the first true pottery masters on our lands were Trypillians, who lived over 6,000 years ago. But we will never know their names.

Pottery evolved, changed, and gained new features. New forms and techniques emerged. At every stage of Ukraine’s formation, the art of pottery expanded even further, with each region developing its unique style. This style has been passed down from generation to generation, though new imagery continues to emerge.

Pottery is one of the symbols of cultural heritage that preserves national identity and traditions.

In this TOP 3 list of Ukrainian potters, we have selected some of the best creators of world-renowned works representing Ukraine’s cultural heritage

Valery and Nadia Protoryev

Valery and Nadia Protoryev
Photo source: Library of Ukrainian Art

A talented couple of ceramic artists who worked at the famous Vasylkiv Majolica Factory in the 1960s. The style of Vasylkiv majolica is renowned for its bright and colorful painting on glazed surfaces. It features characteristic motifs of flowers, birds, and scenes from folk life. Vasylkiv majolica significantly influenced Ukrainian decorative art.

Following tradition, Valeriy and Nadiya Protoriyev created their own world of majolica ceramics.

They met while studying at the Kyiv School of Applied Arts and never parted again. They married, graduated, and went on to work at the Vasylkiv Majolica Factory.

They signed their works simply as ‘Protoriyevs.’ Some of their most distinctive pieces are whimsical animals that captivate the viewer. A large collection of their works is preserved in the National Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Arts

Півник. Майоліка

But in 2022, the world learned about this artistic couple under tragic circumstances. One of their works survived the bombing of an apartment building in the town of Borodianka. A photo of a ceramic rooster left intact on a kitchen cabinet in that building went viral across the world.

These roosters were not unique, and today they have been digitized and preserved.

The Protoriyevs’ rooster, made at the Vasylkiv Majolica Factory, has become a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and endurance in the face of the full-scale war with Russia.

Oleksa Bakhmatiuk

Бахматюк Олекса

Perhaps the most famous master of the renowned Kosiv painted ceramics, Oleksa Bakhmatiuk was born in 1820 in Kosiv in a potter’s family. Unsurprisingly, he too became fascinated with pottery and began training with Ivan Baraniuk, whom he eventually surpassed in skill.

During his lifetime, Bakhmatiuk earned the title of “genius pottery master” and was called a “sage capable of anything.”

In the mid-19th century, tiles used to decorate stoves were in high demand. These are primarily the narrative ensembles that Oleksa created, which he signed under the names Bakhmitsky or Bakhminsky. However, he also produced a wide variety of items: bowls, platters, candlesticks, flower pots, stove tiles, and more.

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Миска. Автор Олекса Бахматюк

Bakhmatiuk’s works became famous through exhibitions in which he participated. At one such exhibition in Kolomyia, his stove tiles caught the attention of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The emperor awarded the potter a gold medal and monetary prize, purchasing many of his works and commissioning a stove.

Oleksa Bakhmatiuk pioneered a method of decorating pottery called “whitewashing,” which others later adopted. This involved covering the raw item with a thin layer of white clay, which would retain its color after firing, and then applying paint over it. He also established a canon for depicting human figures.

Bakhmatiuk passed away in 1882, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of pottery. Each of his works is unique, as he never repeats his patterns, always creating new designs.

The Poshyvailo Dynasty

Гаврило та Євдокія Пошивайло
Photo source: https://uartlib.org/

The Poshyvailo family, or rather, an entire dynasty of potters, was established in the 19th century in one of Ukraine’s largest pottery centers – the village of Opishnya in the Poltava region.

Opishnya ceramics are renowned for their bright decorative painting and rich color palette, and potters create their works without preliminary sketches, using local clay.

The Poshyvailo dynasty was founded by Taras Poshyvailo, about whom little is known except that he made glazed pottery and lived in the second half of the 19th century. His wife, Kylina, created clay toys for children, while their son Nyshypir also made pottery. The most famous masters of artistic ceramics in the family were Nyshypir’s son, Havrylo, and his wife, Yevdokia.

They worked together, following the ancient Opishnya tradition: the works of the potter-husband must pass through the hands of the wife, the painter

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Вершник. Автор Гаврило Пошивайло

Havrylo made pottery and sculptures, while Yevdokia decorated his works with decorative compositions.

Their son Mykola and their grandchildren continued the family’s work. Based on the collection activities of Havrylo and Yevdokia Poshyvailo, a Memorial Museum-Estate of the Poshyvailo Pottery Family was established in Opishnya. Unfortunately, they did not live to see its opening. However, Yevdokia (Yavdokha) was the inspiration for the museum. She instructed her grandson to create the museum, leading to the creation of the first private pottery museum in the 1970s.

Havrylo and Yavdokha lived for pottery until their final breath, with each continuing to create until the end of their lives.

 


Photo on the cover: Nadiya and Valery Protorieva. Vasylkiv majolica.

Exhibition of the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine