ceramics
Victoria Savka
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hello, my name is Victoria Savka. I am a multidisciplinary artist currently based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally from Western/Central New York. My work highlights the silliest and sweetest moments nature shares with us! I find that in the rush of daily life we can find ourselves so far removed from the beauty and quietude of nature that daily reminders pull us back to our roots.
What was the early motivation to express your creativity through ceramics?
For many years I focused my training on 2D work though painting, printmaking, and drawing. I only flirted with ceramics through electives during my undergraduate and graduate studies. The tactile, playful qualities of clay allowed my work to take shape in a manner I never thought it possibly could before, but I was not convinced it was meant to be, or perhaps I was oblivious? It finally sunk in when I began to teach ceramics. Like a breath of fresh air, a deep admiration for the medium appeared. Now I have used clay to create more sculptural utilitarian work, explore 2d pattern making more fully (oddly enough), and to embrace my love for whimsy within the practical.
We know you gravitate toward different mediums, such as illustration, painting, printmaking, and writing. Can you share your thoughts on how these mediums have influenced your approach to ceramics?
Of course, yes, each medium has very much impacted where my work is today, and may be tomorrow! I was formally trained in Illustration and the Fine Arts, an umbrella term for painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture within my university.
My love for storytelling, illustration, and improvisation are an enormous drive towards the paintings I apply to my ceramics. Although I may not be blatantly telling a story through my work I know that images can strike a memory or a story to their viewers. However absurd or sweet the illustrations are, I love discovering and learning what others feel or find. Let's talk about it! Let's hear that story and enjoy our hot tea together!
Recently I have thought more and more about printmaking, not necessarily the action, but the production of multiples as I have made dozens of mugs at a time. I felt very drawn towards printmaking because of the unexpected, the playful experimentation behind the ink application, chine collé, and even the unexpected nature of the printing press. Now I feel a similar sense of intrigue in how my handbuilt mugs, although using the same stencils, applying the same colors and brush strokes can feel and be very different from the next. I see my mood in this production-esque process more than anything! If the pinches are deeper, the strokes are longer, if the dots are more excited then I know I was the same! I have always preferred to see the process and development within a piece of art. The rawness and gesture holds humanity.
What is the process and the thinking behind your pieces?
Sometimes they begin with a plan, other times they do not and that is the absolute fun of it.
What and who inspires you?
There is a plethora of inspiration everywhere! I wholeheartedly believe our environment and personal outlook into the world has a tremendous impact on our work, but to name a few personal inspiration: I dearly admire the simplicity of American Folk Art, the whimsical humor of Staffordshire pottery, the moral and sometimes ethereal nature of fables and tall tales, the twisted humor in Ronald Dahl and Guy de Maupassant’s short stories, the poetic color palettes of Les Nabis.
We know that you are involved in teaching. Can you tell us more about this experience and your teaching approach?
I absolutely love working with children. They have the exact curious happiness and carefree imagination I strive to hold on to!
How do you feel about working with your hands? Can you tell us more about the impact it has on your happiness and well-being?
I know myself. I am my best when I move and make. The energy towards making is always positive and I always have a feeling of fulfilment. I have worked many different jobs, but never have I felt so fulfilled as when I move. Perhaps in another life I could have been a sailor, a potato peeler, or baker, because I know I do best when I am moving. Yes, perhaps I am an impatient chef, as I am always stirring my sauteed vegetables, but I thank my body everyday for allowing me to work as I do. I do strive to give it the necessary time to pause and rest. As a tree hibernates and prepares itself for spring during the winter I believe rest is vital for my body as a potter.
We strongly believe that crafts provide an ideal setting for environmental and social change. How do you believe that we can create more space for that?
I believe ceramics go hand in hand with the concept of ‘community’. We gather, we cook, we eat, we sip, we nourish ourselves - together whether as family, friends, or community. We end up being the vessels being nourished with food for thought through conversation in these moments.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
I have been working on a few special collaborations with friends and businesses I admire and love.
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
You can find my work online via my website: www.victoriasavka.com. Should you be interested in learning where and when you can find my work- I recommend subscribing to my newsletter which you subscribe to through my website You can find me on instagram: @savkaclay
All images belong to Victoria.
