We create useful things: dishware, decor items for restaurants, designers and individuals.
What inspires you to create what you make?
Not much around inspires me, I think it goes from inside. To be a creator, to have possibilities to make beautiful items from almost nothing - that is my inspiration.
How did you get into ceramics?
It was my wife's idea to try pottery. 10 years ago we made our first pot. But before I created the pottery wheel using drawings, which I found on the internet. And we had to go to another city to buy clay. We were young and did not see any difficulties. When we got the wheel and clay, we started to create, we became ceramists. we did no know then, but it was a beginning of new life of ours
Who was the first person that believed in you?
Me and my wife started together. We helped each other, we believed in us. Our first and only teacher was Simon Leach. I am sure he does not know us. We saw his videos and tried, and tried, and tried. The most important lesson he did us is in two words: keep practicing. So we did. And we keep practicing.
If you could jump in a time machine and go back ten years, what advice would you give yourself?
I can not do it unfortunately. I better give advice to today's me: do not be lazy and keep moving forward! Do not have any doubts, you are on the right way!
What was the moment you knew you could be successful with ceramics?
It was about 3 years ago. But it was not an understanding "i can be successful with ceramics" it was "i can be a successful man". It was a moment when I resigned from office. Success for me is to live an interesting life, to have good people around, to be responsible for your life and be possible to improve it.
How do you define success for the path that you are on?
I am just going my way. People say I do well. In fact I keep the books and graphics going up. The definition of success (if you need the valuation) is keeping a positive trend. In all areas of life.
What does your typical day look like?
I am a night owl, so i get up at 9am and do physical exercises, often with my family (wife and daughter). After that I have breakfast and slowly eat it. At 11am my daughter goes to kindergarten and me and my wife goes to the studio. There we do ceramics until 7-10pm. We create new items there, changing items in kilns, and teach people (we do classes too). We have lunch at 3pm because at that time the maid came in and we cannot work. We eat in the cafe near our studio. At about 5pm one of us goes to kindergarten and spends time with our daughter out the studio or comes back to the workplace. In fact our daughter is often with us. She is 5 and she goes with me to meetings with customers and partners, works with us with clay or distracts us from work. At 10pm we try to be home and put our daughter to bed. My wife often goes to bed at 11pm. I do evening exercises, eat and open my laptop and keep my books, answer letters or write the text (today this text) important in the moment, process the photos etc. at 1-2am i go to bed too.
What's been the most important skill you've developed on your path?
Understanding that failures are normal. Do not dwell on them and keep moving forward.
What's been your greatest challenge on your journey?
An order on 280 items dishware for the restaurant and the same one after it. It was the biggest order in our practice and we did not understand the volume. But now we did. Now we can repeat. We became stronger!
What's been your greatest reward in the choices you've made to do ceramics?
To live an interesting life.
