By: Joely Strickland

It is an honor to showcase Elena Syromiatnikova, an internationally renowned and highly regarded Russian ceramic artist known for her highly distinctive ‘multi-layering’ style in nature-inspired pieces in the ceramic, pottery world.

Syromiatnikova’s unique style is inspired by her Russian training and experience coupled by Eurasian insights and approaches that she draws on.

She is particularly known for her unique experimentations with glaze by firing it multiple times in the kiln, a technique of multi-layering. This unique technique creates depth and a complex unique colors. Syromiatnikova is well-known for preserving traditional simplicity and applying them to complex modern ceramics.

Syromiatnikova’s distinctive ceramic technique has won her recognition and accolades over the past 15 years. She has been invited to and featured in numerous exhibitions on different continents. In the U.S. these include the highly regarded 2023 “Memory Mirage” at Gallery Kunstraum in New York.

After submitting her portfolio to an open competition, Syromiatnikova was also chosen and invited to a residency at the Kunstraum Gallery in New York.

Syromiatnikova has been repeatedly invited to and her ceramic art featured in highly prestigious exhibitions all over the world. Locally, her solo exhibitions in 2018 and 2022 were in the city of Orel, Russia.

Her International exhibitions include: the 2009 International Exhibition and Competition “Russian-Lithuanian Art Week” in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.

She was also featured in two exhibitions for the International Ceramics Festival “City of Potters” in 2008 and 2013 held in the city Bogorodsk, Russia.

In 2021, Syromiatnikova was invited to and her work featured in the International Exhibition “Glass and Ceramics in the Landscape ” on Yelagin Island, St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2013 and 2016, Syromiatnikova was invited and was featured in two International Festival of Potters Exhibitions, “Skopin 2013” and “Skopin 2016” held in Skopin, Russia.

Each hand-molded piece she creates is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind. When looking for subjects for her art, Syromiatnikova draws from nature. Her preferred muses are the elements of water and fire. “I watch what is happening around me every day, and it gives me creative ideas. I am especially attracted to the changing state of nature. Its elements of water and fire are an inextricable topic for my projects,” she says of her creative process. Her art is filled with color and imperfection, just as nature is colorful and imperfect.

Syromiatnikova also imbued pieces with the traditions of her native land, such as drawing on Oryol antique embroidery, as ornamentation.

Syromiatnikova credits her talent to her grandfather, Boris, who was a talented artist and art teacher in his own right. His continued influence has left an artistic legacy that remains a significant inspiration in her life. She jumped into art at a young age, taking art classes as a child. And Syromiatnikova always knew what she liked. Even as a child, she knew what she was meant to do with her life.

In college, Syromiatnikova studied Design at Orel Art School before heading to Oryol State University for a specialty in Decorative and Applied Arts and Crafts.

In 2009, while still working on her degree, she had a solo exhibition at Orel in the Department of Art and Graphics. All the while, Syromiatnikova was participating in festivals, fairs, and exhibitions, building her portfolio.

During her postgraduate studies at the Oryol State University in the Department of Decorative and Applied Arts and Technical Graphics, Syromiatnikova received a Certificate of Honor from the Orel City Administration for success in teaching and a creative approach to education. Her grandfather’s legacy lives on through her.

After graduating from graduate school in 2007, Syromyatnikova and her husband opened their own art studio, Orel Ceramics. The studio was awarded by Tula Park with a Certificate for Participation in the organization of an exhibition of traditional ceramics dedicated to the celebration Day of the Tula region.

Again, following in her grandfather’s footsteps, Syromiatnikova qualified as a fine arts teacher in 2017 from the Moscow Academy of Professional Competencies.

This highly talented artist was honored with an invitation to a creative residence in Moscow, the Union of Artists of Russia “Vorontsovo Creative Experimental Combine, for four months. There, she produced many creative and original works. She and her colleagues held an exhibition during their stay in residence.

In fact, her work has been so impactful to her peers that she received three recommendations from Union of Artists of Russia members to join, which she did after passing three commissions.

Currently, Elena Syromiatnikova can be found creating her inspired art in New York, where she continues to grow as a ceramic artist. She continues to honor the legacy left by her grandfather. “Although he died when I was two, his legacy of love for art lives in me,” she remarks, remembering her grandfather. His paintings, books, easels, and even brushes are kept in her house. She is thrilled to wake up every morning and see the unique art she has created, surrounding and filling her with joy.

About the Author

Joely Strickland is an art writer with a degree in Art History and a love for all things Rococo. She enjoys learning about artists from around the world and discovering new and fascinating art styles.

Published by: Martin De Juan