Articles by Natasha Dikareva

2020 Shelter Updates

It has been such a busy few months of exhibitions that I forgot to post about them! And now that we are all staying home, I finally have a chance to reflect and update.

On February 12th, we were fortunate to have an amazing reception for the Serenity Exhibition at UCSF Women’s Health Center on Sutter Street in San Francisco. The docent tour was wonderful and it was great to see how many people came to hear the artists talk about their work.  A collection of my work currently occupies the entire 3rd floor of the building, amid popular primary care offices. The show is open to the public, so I had been inviting people to see it before the pandemic, but now it is a different story. However, the show runs until May 26th, so I am hopeful that more people might have the opportunity to go. The exhibition series invites artists to showcase a body of work that inspires relaxation, well-being and calm. Every four months, there will be five new artists invited to participate.

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. And if you happened to find yourself at UCSF Women’s Health Center, I hope my artwork will bring positive and calming energy to you during these difficult times. May our inspiration and creativity rise above the chaos.

Primavera
stoneware, stains, glazes, fabric, 72″x20″x10″

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My Sea Troubadour won honorable mention! “What Lies Beneath” is an exhibition that explores the space between dreams and consciousness so it was a perfect fit for my work. I was very touched by the wonderful speech the juror Lisa Claque gave about my sculpture. Thank you Epperson Gallery!

Sea Troubadour
stoneware, stains, glazes, blown glass, 12″x18″x11″

 

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The show “48 Pillars” has been extended to May 9!

Curated by Michael Yochum, “48 Pillars” is an invitational exhibition by 24 local Bay Area artists who create 2 pieces each on the 48×12 inch panels that rings the gallery – 48 works total. The artists are unconstrained in subject matter except to the extent that works need to be a series; but they are constrained in format.

I made my panels about a San Francisco where everyone discovers something: self-realization, wisdom, opportunity. I love to connect to the natural elements of the Bay Area, letting the ocean, eucalyptus, sun, rain, and other living creatures rejuvenate me. Daily excursions in the outdoors inspire contemplation of the primordial and eternal, longer timelines of existence within which the world myths are rooted.

In this diptych: effortlessly riding the waves she holds a pearl in one hand. With the other, she guides her bird guardians to protect the bay, leading boats safely into harbors.

Show runs: February 29 – May 9
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 29th, 7 – 9 pm
Artist Talk & Brunch Closing Reception: Saturday, May 9th, 12 – 3 pm
Arc Gallery & Studios, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

SF Art Market has been postponed to August 13-16, but here is one of my glass-and-clay-combination-pieces, What Do You See In the Clouds, to watch over your cozy shelter and help you see a bright future.

Stay well!

SOFA 2019

This year’s Sculptural Objects and Fine Art fair (SOFA) was a blast! Thank you everybody who came to visit our booth. Here are some images from the Hive Gallery setup for those who missed the Chicago smorgasbord. One of my pieces even made it into the annual catalogue! Looking forward to seeing my Midwest friends again soon and making new work for the next year.
https://www.sofaexpo.com/

2019 Bioneers Conference

Very happy to be included in the futuristic vision of the @bioneers this weekend at their annual conference! Two pieces outdoors are surrounded by the beautiful Marin hills, as well as other imaginative outdoor sculptures. One is inside at the exhibition hall and keeps great company in this fantastic show of innovative creators. The exhibition hall and the grounds of the Marin Center in San Rafael are free and open to the public this weekend. Stop by to see and get inspired about the future!


https://conference.bioneers.org/

About the conference:

Bioneers is an innovative nonprofit organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet. Founded in 1990 in Santa Fe, New Mexico by social entrepreneurs Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, we act as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

A celebration of the genius of nature and human ingenuity, Bioneers connects people with solutions and each other. Our acclaimed annual national conference and local Bioneers Network events are complemented by extensive media production including a vibrant online media presence, award-winning radio and podcast series, book series, and role in third-party media projects such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie The 11th Hour and Michael Pollan’s best-selling book The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Our dynamic programs and initiatives focus on game-changing initiatives related to Restorative Food Systems, Biomimicry, Rights of Nature, Indigeneity, Women’s Leadership and Youth Leadership.

In 2017, Ausubel and Simons were honored for the work of Bioneers by Japan’s Goi Peace Award, whose past recipients include Bill Gates, scientist James Lovelock of the Gaia Hypothesis, Nigerian pro-democracy activist Hafsat Abiola-Costello and Deepak Chopra.

Aquatics of the French Riviera

The Mediterranean sea is beautiful in September! I have returned from my travels and projects in the south of France and am excited to share some of my new work and inspirations with San Francisco. I met Lauren Kearns during our residency together at Valauris in 2016, where we became great friends. She invited me to San Raphael, where she brings ceramic artists from all over the world to work and teach. We had our two-person exhibition called “Elements” on the 21st of September. The opening reception went well, with many of the local people in attendance and I got to practice my French. I was also invited to show my works at Faune Galleria in Antibes right next to the Picasso museum! I am happy my Aquatics are living in the French Riviera now.

My two-week residency in the south of France culminated in a series of sculptures which meditate on merging the smooth, polished and manicured aspects of civilized architecture with the rough, overgrown and wild elements of unpopulated forests and beaches. Translating my daily experience of socializing with the Mediterranean water creatures like corals and medusas, or the beautiful pine trees with their intricate cones, then walking back into the meticulously clean and organized town of San Raphael, my sculptures take on similarly multi-layered aspects and reveal rough, spontaneous textures beneath smooth and shiny skins.

After the bisque firing

 

 

“I’ll Take You to See the Future”

UPWARD she looks through a rose colored lens,

“I will take you to the future”
Her bottom lip bends,

Optimism and clarity is what her gift lends,

Her origin unknown, so your wonder deepens;

‘How may I meet her?’
Well that depends,

The sick, sad, impoverished are the ones who she mends,

Granting insight to happiness is her means to an end

Her power is priceless, for it is time she defends.

Poem inspired by the multi-talented Bjorn Rojas, one of my workshop attendees.

“Adele”
“Aqua Lady”
 
Antibes, France

Dreams in Clay: Workshop in Southern France

France just experienced some record-breaking heat but I’m sure that September will be a beautiful time to be in Saint-Raphaël and teach another intensive 7-day workshop at the International Artists Residency Exchange! I have been brushing up on my French vocabulary and am looking forward to returning to this gorgeous part of the world, to soak up the endless reservoirs of history and mythology, bask in the Mediterranean culture, and guide students on an exploration of their own personal mythologies.

Dates: September 9– 15, 2019

The deadline to register is coming up soon — August 1st! — but there are still spaces available. You can find registration and more information here: https://internationalartistsresidencyexchange.com/index.php/en/events-en/8-inaugural-workshop-natasha-dikareva-dreams-in-clay

Hope to see you on the Riviera!

Closing reception for Evolution of Shell Dweller

Evolution of Shell Dweller is up and running for the whole month of June. It is so much fun to see visitors dwell in the big shell! You still have time to step into the aquatic universe and add your presence to the wall of polaroids. I hope to see you at the closing reception where I will elaborate on the origin stories behind my work!

Closing Reception: June 29th, 4 – 7pm
Artist talk at 5pm

Show runs June 1st – 30th

Abrams Claghorn Gallery

1251 Solano Ave, Albany CA 94706

Phone: 510.526.9558

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evolution of a Shell Dweller–solo show in June!

I am very excited to put together work from the past several years, showing my process of creating my mythical creatures, the Shell Dwellers. Below is a statement about the pieces. I hope to see you at the opening next month!

opening reception: June 8, 5-7pm

show runs June 1-30

Abrams Claghorn Gallery

1251 Solano Ave., Albany CA 94706

Phone: 510.526.9558

I started the Shell Dweller series in 2010. They grew out of a preoccupation with constant catastrophes and disasters around the world. I felt as if I would like to hide in my own shell to be safe. My first Shell Dwellers were pale and minimal in color palette. The symbols on their surfaces developed a visual narrative, communicating their personal myths and identities, their adventures through labyrinths and deserts, their encounters with other strange creatures.

Later, as I mustered hope, my Shell Dwellers started to emerge from their homes. Their heads would still stay inside the shells, so as not be disturbed by the constant negativity of news media. Instead, they were tuning to their inner essence. Listening to the rhythm of their own organism, their skin developed new kinds of imagery. Their surfaces brightened up with colorful glazes, underglazes, custom made decals, and intricate China painting. Reminiscent of photographs slowly developing in the dark room, misty surfaces hinted at hidden layers.

By 2014 my Shell Dwellers completely lost their shells and moved to bathtubs to escape the frenzy and chaos. I called them Escapists. Tuning into the feminine element of water, they also immerse themselves in emotion, purification, intuition, the subconscious, and the mysteries of the self. The instruments of their immersion–books and digital devices–offered them a gateway to another reality. The surfaces of bathtubs and their bodies continued to hint at their inner existence, to depict the places of their fantasy and poetry of the books they read, to flash fleeting dreams.

Most recently I have been exploring glass blowing as a technique to incorporate translucent elements into my figures. The Shell Dwellers have transformed into Knights of Flowers and Clouds, whose armor is similarly protective yet they are less vulnerable and more active. Instead of simply hiding and ignoring their surroundings, these armored figures have set out on a quest for saving the ones in need, for beauty and poetry.

 

Spring Exhibitions

Spring is finally here and things are heating up in the studio! Enjoy the long days and I hope they are filled with lots of beautiful art. Here are some current exhibitions where you can find my work. Let me know if you stop by!

Abrams Claghorn Gallery. 251 Solano Ave. Albany CA

Small Works, A Look Back and Forward  

celebrates 4 years of exhibitions at Abrams Claghorn Gallery. Glad to be part of this show’s delightful collection of small works.

Reception: April 13, 5-7 pm
Exhibition: April 3 – 30, 2019

more info

Olive Hyde Art Gallery. 123 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA

Heated Expression: Clay and Glass from ACGA

Reception: April 5, 7-9pm
Exhibition: April 5 – May 4

As a member of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California, I am happy to be included into this show along with 8 other wonderful clay and glass artists.

more info 

Morgan Glass Contemporary Gallery. 5833 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 

Teapots!13

Exhibition: April 5 – June 8

One of my first clay/glass pieces will be at this annual show. So many whimsical and innovative interpretations of the classic vessel will be on display.

more info

Unspoken Sorrows
stoneware, stains, glazes, china paint
Blue Line Arts. 405 Vernon Street, Suite 100, Roseville, CA

Blue Line Arts Third Annual International Ceramic Art Competition
Opening Reception:
April 20, 5-8:30 pm
Exhibition: April 5 – May 18

Unspoken Sorrows was chosen to be in this great collection of ceramic objects at Blue Line Arts, a sweet gallery just outside of Sacramento.
more info

Return to Concordia–NCECA 2019 in Minneapolis

Next month, I will be visiting the Twin Cities in Minnesota, a nurturing place I lived for many years before moving to San Francisco. As part of this year’s National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) programming at Concordia University, I am excited to show a new body of work alongside my stepfather’s poetic paintings. This year’s conference theme, Claytopia, is a foundational idea in both of our practices as we both delve into the subconscious search for a resplendent, serene and idyllic non-places. Below is a short description of the show and the conference as a whole. I hope to see you there!
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Return to Concordia features the sculptures of Natasha Dikareva, who was artist-in-residence at Concordia University 1997-1999. This exhibition merges ancient mythological figures with a personal iconography to push the boundaries of the ideal and discover a hidden utopic vision. Paintings by Vladimir Dikarev explore a similar landscape of forgotten worlds and future dreams. The father/daughter duo opens a window into a wondrous view. Mar 14- April 10.
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H. Williams Teaching Gallery
Reception: Thursday, March 14th, 5 -7pm
and Friday, Mar 29, 5 – 9pm.
Hours during conference week: Mon–Sun 10am–7pm (Fri until 9pm).
Concordia Art Center
1301 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, MN
651-641-8278
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Claytopia, NCECA’s 53rd annual conference will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota March 27-30, 2019. Since the 1960s, the Twin Cities region has played a pivotal role in shaping a renaissance in studio pottery and craft as cultural forces. Adaptation of Mingei-inspired ideals within the American heartland drove a vision of artfulness in daily life. Claytopia will engage regional, national and international artists, thinkers, curators, educators, and students to produce an array of exhibitions and experiences that build on, respond to, celebrate, and push against ceramic art’s diverse legacies. Together, we will expand critical discourse on teaching, learning, aesthetics, social impacts, design thinking, and artistic production.

Last week of Sculpture Now!

I am very happy to have two of my sculptures in this important show, Sculpture Now, at the Peninsula Museum of Art in Burlingame, CA. It comes down next weekend so go visit soon!

Peninsula Museum of Art
1777 California Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
650.692.2101

This exhibition presents works by 25 Pacific Rim Sculptors focusing on serious social or environmental issues challenging our country and planet and resulting in humanitarian crises: pollutants damage our atmosphere to the point of extreme climate change, fires, crop failures; insecticides and industrial wastes poison our land and waterways; and discarded plastic chokes our oceans and kills already over-fished marine life. Scarce resources lead to strife. Borders close to desperate, asylum-seeking refugees and children are torn from their parents.  In these times of unprecedented and rapid change, artists’ voices need to be heard more than ever.

JUROR:
Brigitte Micmacker, Owner of Sculpturesite Gallery (previously A New Leaf Gallery), has owned and operated galleries for 28 years and counting. 

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