Ceramics is a type of decorative and applied art and industrial production based on the processing of fired clay and related materials. In the Nizhny Novgorod Encyclopedia, the subject of ceramics is represented primarily through the professional vocabulary of artists and information about Nizhny Novgorod's artistic life.
Terminology
Several articles in the encyclopedia are devoted to specialized concepts in ceramic art. Engobe is a coating used to decorate ceramics; it is opaque and matte, contains a significant proportion of clay matter, and does not form a glassy layer; it is applied by spraying or pouring onto pieces, which are then fired.[2] Barbotine (from medieval Iranian) is unglazed decorative ceramics featuring multi-layered applied relief compositions, as well as the type of applied relief itself.[3] Whiteness is one of the most important decorative properties of porcelain and faience, achieved through the use of white-firing clays, purification of raw materials, and a special firing regime. Bisqueware is a fired, glazed but unpainted piece. Biscuit (Bisque) (French: Biskuit) is white, unglazed, matte porcelain used as a material for small sculptural works and reliefs on tableware and vases.
Ceramics in Nizhny Novgorod's Artistic Life
Ceramics is among the decorative and applied arts represented in Nizhny Novgorod galleries. In particular, the ART52 gallery in the Alekseevsky Passage offers original ceramics alongside painting, batik, graphic art, embroidery, and wood carving, with prices ranging from 800 to 50,000 rubles per work.
Nizhny Novgorod is home to the Mayak Keramika pottery workshop, located at 4 Nizhne-Volzhskaya Embankment, near the The Kremlin and Rozhdestvenskaya. The workshop offers hand-building and pottery-wheel masterclasses for children from age three and for adults, as well as off-site events and individual-format sessions.[1]
The inclusion of these organizations in the "Artists of Nizhny Novgorod" section reflects how deeply rooted the ceramic craft is in the local artistic tradition. The Kapriznaya Keramika studio of original ceramics was founded in Nizhny Novgorod in 2018 by ceramicist Marina Denisova, who trained under Elena Vagina — a member of the Professional Union of Artists of Russia and a lecturer at the Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. The studio's shop-showroom is located at 12/5 Rozhdestvenskaya Street. Its range includes pieces made from clay and semi-porcelain — cups, teapots, vases, plates, and lamps — fired at temperatures of up to 1,240 degrees; among the works produced is tableware with a Nizhny Novgorod theme: mugs and plates featuring views of Nizhny Novgorod and the The Chkalov Staircase.[2]
Nizhny Novgorod is also home to the Keramika Stil ceramic tile and sanitary ware showroom (4 Izhorskaya Street), which sells ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, clinker, and mosaic products from European and Russian manufacturers, as well as sanitary ware and bathroom furniture.[3]
Sources
- mayak-keramika.ru — Nizhny Novgorod is home to the Mayak Keramika pottery workshop, located at 4 Nizhne-Volzhskaya Embankment, near the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin and Rozhdestvenskaya Street (archive)
- kaprizka.tilda.ws — The Kapriznaya Keramika studio of original ceramics was founded in Nizhny Novgorod in 2018 by ceramicist Marina Denisova, who trained under Elena Vagina — a member of the Union of A (archive)
- keramika-style.ru — Nizhny Novgorod is also home to the Keramika Stil ceramic tile and sanitary ware showroom (4 Izhorskaya Street), which sells ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, clinker, and (archive)
Materials from articles used (6)
ART52, Engobe, Barbotine, Whiteness, Bisqueware, Biscuit (Bisque)