We met Ivan during his debut at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, 2021. His work sold out on the first day; he returned home to Kyiv feeling jubilant. Seven months later Russia bombed the city and his studio was nearly destroyed.

Ivan became a soldier overnight.

Since the invasion we have remained in touch with Ivan and are happy to report that he cobbled together scraps of materials to rebuild his studio. He makes pottery when he's not on duty.

Ivan is known for his use of engobe, a Ukranian specialty utilizing rich deposits of naturally colored clay in his food-safe glazes. His figures are drawn from traditional motifs found across a variety of media in Ukranian folk art including textiles, woodcarving, folk painting and more.