Sara is an artist and ceramicist. She works across different media to tell stories inspired by her everyday life and observations.

year of birth: 1998

birthplace: Germany, but spent most of her life growing up in Moscow (Russia).

current residence: Blois (France) after moving to France 5 years ago.

has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember, and started working with ceramics around 2018.

Where did it all begin?

I grew up in a very artistic family and was encouraged to draw, write, and discover all forms of art imaginable. My mom and I would spend a lot of time in museums and watching old films, so a lot of my memories from childhood and adolescence are tied up to certain films, paintings and songs.

Ceramics came about very randomly – my friend Natasha Markina, who is a fantastic artist, illustrator, animator, and educator, proposed to make all the tableware for her wedding by ourselves. We had so much fun that we decided to continue making ceramics afterwards and created Locked Garden. We worked together for a while. Today, Natasha focuses on her other artistic projects, and I continue on with ceramics.

What is the worst advice you’ve heard?

Just about any advice on how to draw “the right way”. Children’s drawings inspire me so much, and I wish everybody could create with this kind of freedom and carelessness for the rules.

Most beautiful moment during the creative process?

For me, it is the moment when I am living my life – walking outside, taking the bus, grocery shopping – and suddenly see a face, a color combination or an object that makes something click in my mind and I come up with a piece, a story or a scene that I want to create.

What doesn’t inspire you?

Probably staring at my computer – sometimes I really want to answer emails while floating around in a forest stream like in one of those office siren memes. (laughs)

What are you proud of?

I am proud of trying even when it is complicated. Of finding some humor in it and being able to see that nothing is ever that deep.

Who would you like to meet or who would you like to work with?

I was lucky enough to meet a lot of makers and artists I am a big fan of. I would absolutely love to meet and work with Laura Carlin and Klara Kristalova, their ceramic works have inspired me in a lot of ways. I would also love to have a chance to talk to artists like Kosuke Ajiro, Florence Miailhe and Manabu Himeda. All of them have their own distinct enchanted worlds that I am very curious about. And of course I would have loved to meet Henri Matisse, my favorite artist since childhood.

Favorite material?

Red low-temperature clay with chamotte.

What would you have done, if not this?

I did my studies in linguistics and literature. I think I would maybe go on to do academic research.

When was your biggest moment of doubt?

I remember having a lot of doubts when I was starting university and had less time to draw. Drawing seemed kind of silly, but thankfully, I did not stop doing it anyway.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My family and friends, my boyfriend, strangers on the internet and in real life who love my work and tell me.

Favorite image?

This horse stepping off the Norman warship in England from the Bayeux tapestry. I relate to the horse’s clumsiness in a way, it struggles to get off the ship quick enough, and I just imagine it being so confused and not even conceptualizing that it has to go to battle immediately.

What is to you, the most beautiful sentence?

There’s a Russian idiom that can be translated as “the eyes fear, but the hands do”,  which I think is a good way to approach something that seems difficult – just start somewhere.

What do you still want to do?

There are so many things I want to do. Write and make a film, learn more about the history of the world, paint really big-scale works, learn how to do wood firing, go to uni again, live on a boat? (laughs)

Where do you work?

I currently work at my little, not so organized home studio.

And here’s another colorful work desk from a recent art residency.

Want to see more of Sara’s work?

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