Meet the Masters: Veronica Gritsenko

Coffee & Conversation with Veronica Gritsenko

Myanmar based British Ukrainian artist and master Veronica Gritsenko will share her personal journey and insights in lacquer making and its art in Myanmar. We will hear about how Veronica Gritsenko with her talented team of local craftspeople in Myanmar create contemporary designs while using the traditional methods. The imaginative, colorful and detailed illustrations are absolutely magical. She insists using ancient techniques and methods to produce the correct weight and consistency of the lacquer pieces, the result of which is a piece of art that lasts a lifetime.

About the artist

Veronica Gritsenko is SOIL's long-term collaborator and mentor. Gritsenko first came across Myanmar culture in London and met a Buddhist monk in 1995. She then visited Myanmar with him in 1996 and fell in love with this extraordinary and beautiful country.

After Gritsenko completed her studies in Asian Arts at Sotheby's Institute and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London in 1999, she went to Bagan for her MA dissertation on symbolism of Bagan temple architecture and she set her sights on lacquer arts tradition. She was in both marvel and sorrow that such a beautiful and ancient art form was in decline, being produced mostly for tourist market. In 2000, Gritsenko founded Black Elephant Studio lacquer workshop in Bagan, Myanmar. Eventually she developed her own unique technique based on ancient methods and materials and also created original designs and innovative methods of decoration.

Gritsenko has been invited to give lectures at the British Museum, Asia House in London and Asia Society in New York, USA as well as participating in conferences and exhibitions. In 2007, Gritsenko established an institute to help preserve ancient Myanmar lacquer art for future generations. Her works were acquired by the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Museum and Turquoise Mountain in the UK, as well as the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, Italy.

英藉烏克蘭裔漆藝家Veronica Gritsenko將會分享她在緬甸鑽硏漆藝的個人歷程和感悟。她一直與緬甸的工匠團隊合作，沿襲漆藝傳統技法來呈現現代設計理念，創作天馬行空、繽紛瑰麗又細緻入微的圖案。Veronica 在古法製漆上要保持穩定的的品質，並不容易，她的一份堅持使作品都值得傳世珍藏。

關於漆藝家

Veronica Gritsenko是我們的長期夥伴和良師。1995年她在倫敦初次接觸緬甸文化，後來認識了一位佛教僧侶並在1996年隨他到訪緬甸，從此愛上了這美麗而獨特的國家。

Gritsenko在蘇富比東亞藝術研究所和倫敦亞非文化研究學院研習後，1999年為了撰寫關於寺廟建築象徴意義的碩士論文前往緬甸蒲甘，深受當地漆藝傳統吸引，在感到驚艷的同時，亦為這美麗而古老的東方藝術衰落而感到傷感。2000年她在蒲甘創立了Black Elephant Studio漆藝工作室。其後，她參考古法研發了獨一無二的漆藝技巧，並堅持原創設計和創新裝飾的技法。

Gritsenko還受邀在英國大英博物館丶倫敦亞洲之家和美國紐約亞洲協會講學，並多次參加國際會議和展覽。 Gritsenko於2007年成立了研究所去持續古代緬甸漆藝的保育。她的作品獲英國大英博物館、V&A博物館、皇家植物園博物館丶 Turquoise Mountain及意大利都靈東方藝術博物館收藏。

Date: 21 September 2019 (Saturday)

Time: 11:00am -12:30pm

Venue: The Gallery by SOIL, 52 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Language: English, supplemented in Cantonese

Enquiry: email team@craftbysoil.com or call 29754410