Olena Kovalenko
An artist making vessels and sculptural forms inspired by traditional Slavic ceramics and the textures of the Baltic coast. At Mozaika she runs open clay-modelling workshops for children and adults.
About the Work & Technique
Olena moved to Gdańsk in 2022 from Poltava, where she ran her own studio. She brought one tool with her: a wooden rib that belonged to her grandmother, which she still uses to smooth the edge of every vessel.
Her work starts from traditional Slavic ceramics, but takes its colour from the coast here: greys, greens and that matte blue the Baltic keeps for most of the year. She says she spent her first year in Gdańsk working on glazes alone, because the forms would not come.
At Mozaika she runs open clay-modelling workshops for children and adults. She opens each one by saying that your first pot comes out crooked, and that this is part of the plan.
Olena’s work has been shown in galleries in Kyiv, Gdańsk and Berlin.
Interested in collaborating with the artist?
Contact our cultural program coordinator at integracja@fundacjarc.org.pl or reach out to the artist directly through their portfolio links above.
