Irina Razumovskaya MRSS

BIO

Born in Leningrad, USSR, Irina Razumovskaya is a Russian-Israeli ceramic sculptor and painter based in London. She graduated magna cum laude from both BA and MFA degrees at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, and holds an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art.

She is regularly invited to participate in high profile international competitions and exhibitions, with recent works featured in the British Ceramics Biennial, Korean International Ceramics Biennale, and the Loewe Craft Prize.

Irina won the NASPA Ceramic Talent Award at the Westerwald Museum in Germany, the Biennal de ceramics d’Esplugues Angelina Alos in Spain, the International Triennial of Silicate Art in Kecskemet in Hungary, and the Carter Preston Award in Liverpool, UK. She was also awarded the D'A Special Award, Silver Medal at the 59th Faenza Prize Ceramic Competition in Italy.

Her work can be found in the collections of Chatsworth House in the UK, Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art in Japan, the Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan, the Icheon World Ceramic Center GICB in Korea, the Foundation for Contemporary Ceramic Arts in Kecskemet, Hungary, the Yerevan Contemporary Art Museum in Armenia, and a host of private collections worldwide

STATEMENT

In much of my work I create visions of an imagined ancient archaeological sites, urban landscapes and objects using purely the material language of ceramics.

Blending together architectural forms and natural shapes, my work reveals itself as a mirage from the distant past and recent present: invoking the feeling of belonging, being present and in contact with nature.

I make use of unusual textures created through experimental ceramic surface applications, which mimic the effects seen on ageing and crumbling structures. Peeling and decaying surfaces provide glimpses into the deeper layers of meaning that can be found within our shared culture, often obscured by the glossy veneer of the modern world.

My work serves as a critical response to a world where the vandalism of heritage and nature is becoming an everyday occurrence.

It reminds us that behind the ephemeral and easy there are profound and abiding connections, which can be uncovered through gaining a deeper understanding of our true context within the history of civilisation.