Ukrainian artist Nastia Calaca weaves a captivating spell with her mesmerizing ceramic sculptures. Each creation is a whimsical character, meticulously crafted from clay and brimming with personality. Inspired by the fantastical realm of storybooks, Calaca breathes life into creatures that seem to have leaped from the pages and into our world.
Calaca’s love affair with ceramics blossomed into a passion for creating these unique anthropomorphic animals. Her sculptures transcend the boundaries of the animal kingdom, imbued with human expressions and emotions. Whether it’s a mischievous glint in the eye of a fox or the contemplative gaze of an owl, Calaca’s creations capture the essence of their animalistic forms while infusing them with a touch of human wonder.
Owning a piece of Nastia Calaca’s art is akin to welcoming a fragment of a fantastical story into your home. Each sculpture serves as a captivating reminder that the line between imagination and reality can sometimes blur, inviting us to embrace the magic that resides within the ordinary.
I have always been dreaming of becoming an illustrator. Creating intricate illustrations, reinventing beloved book characters, and writing new versions of my favorite stories was all part of my childhood. One day, I unexpectedly stumbled upon ceramics. We unconditionally fell in love and have never parted since, having now been united for more than 9 years. (…) Personas and illustrations shaped into the teapots, pot holders, and little decorative statues. They started their life as flat images on the printed pages, but then they came to life as real and alive as I imagined them; you can touch, cuddle, hug, and kiss them. As for me, I even talk to my handmade fellows.
We agree on the number of their fingers, the color of their eyes, come up with their past, and discuss their future. Every such piece I create is unique. Even the copies I make on-demand are different from the original, they have mood and character of their own; some gain a wee bit of weight, some get a few new charming little wrinkles, and each of them hopes to be loved and cared for by their new owners. With hand modeling and glazing, the final result is always a surprise. Unpredictably magical changes take place in the kiln where every 10 degrees add a new exceptional effect.
Nastia Calaca
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