Art Kaleidoscope

Between art and craft

Georgian artist Varla Felix Varlamishvili

Georgian artist Varla Felix Varlamishvili (1903 - 1986)

Haymaking in July. Painting by Georgian artist Varla Felix Varlamishvili (1903 – 1986)

Georgian artist Varla Felix Varlamishvili (1903 – 1986)

Born in Kutaisi (Imereti) in the family of a financier, Felix Varlamishvili graduated from the Tiflis Art Academy. His teachers were Gigo Gabashvili, Yakob Nikoladze, Oscar Shmerling, Boris Vogel, and Joseph Charlemagne. At the age of 25, Varlamishvili moved to Paris and settled in Montparnasse. Having emigrated to France, Varla forever preserved the Georgian spirit, emphasizing that he painted all his paintings with love for Georgia.
Throughout his creative life, the painter actively exhibited his art in galleries and salons in France, Argentina, Belgium, Japan, the USA and Iran. However, real fame, as often happens, came to the artist after his death, and his paintings are constantly growing in price.
Felix Varlamishvili died in Paris and was buried in a cemetery in the Georgian estate Leville on the outskirts of the French capital.
In January 2019, a personal exhibition of his works, presented mainly from private collections, was held in Tbilisi for almost a month. Also, the museum has 10 paintings that his Danish wife, the artist Zira Binder, donated to the museum according to the artist’s will in 1987.
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Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert

Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert (1851–1918)

Two archers in red caftans in front of a wooden door, detail of desk set. Silver, gilding, painted enamel, Moscow, circa 1900. Work by Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert (1851–1918)

Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert (1851–1918)
At the end of the nineteenth century, Russian jewelers took the art of creating painted enamels to a new level. The works of Fyodor Rückert occupy a special place in the art of enamel. Bright cloisonné enamels, covered with fantastic creatures intertwined with intricate floral ornaments, have become famous thanks to international exhibitions and fairs.
Born in the French province of Alsace-Lorraine in 1840, Fyodor Ruckert came to Russia at the age of 14. In 1886, Ruckert opened his own silverware workshop. Already in 1887, he began collaborating with the Faberge firm. Noteworthy, up to 80% of all products bearing the Faberge brand came out of Ruckert’s workshop.
The most interesting and rare items of the workshop are picturesque enamel miniatures which capture the beauty and charm of Russian antiquity – history, boyar life, and folklore.
Over time, the master developed his own unique style and a special color scheme, which included olive, eggplant, and black colors.

Fedor Ivanovich Ruckert died in 1917, and was buried at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow.
Today, a large part of the works of Ruckert workshop decorate the collections of foreign museums.
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Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art

Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art

Cut apple pendant. Gold, silver, agate. 2021. Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art

Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art
Member of the Union of Artists of Russia, Tatyana Pinchuk (Kiselnikova) takes a worthy place in the list of both Yekaterinburg and Russian jewelers. Noteworthy, she became imbued with the art of jewelry since childhood, observing the work of her father. Sergei Pinchuk is the recognized Ural jeweler goldsmith.
After graduating from the School of Art and Technology and the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art, she declared herself as a creatively thinking artist. A professional jeweler, she started her career in well-known companies in Yekaterinburg. In particular, Gold-Platinum Company, Rifesta, and Jewelers of the Urals.
Giving preference to the constructive direction, a characteristic feature of her jewelry is the nakedness of the frame base. A talented artist, Tatyana has repeatedly received prizes at specialized exhibitions and competitions of various levels, including regional, all-Russian and international ones. Artisan exclusively handcrafted jewelry by Pinchuk is in high demand among connoisseurs of fine jewelry.
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Unikale Collectible Christmas balls

Unikale Collectible Christmas balls

Sirin collectible ball. Foam base, cotton with cashmere, silk, genuine leather, colored glass, toho beads, sequins, polymer clay, cold porcelain. 12 cm. Unikale Collectible Christmas balls

Unikale Collectible Christmas balls

Moscow based art studio “Unikale” (literally “unique”) creates decorative Christmas toys using Kinusaiga technique. For each ball they use applique from fabrics of different types and textures, as well as metallized genuine leather. Also, the craftsmen use cold porcelain painted with acrylics, as well as glass details made in lampwork technology. Hand embroidered with threads, cord, beads and sequins, each ball is a unique piece of art. Besides, each ball is packed in a wooden carved casket specially designed for it.
Noteworthy, the Unikale creative workshop brought together professional artists working in various fields, from architecture and monumental painting to stylistics and visage. The brand offers a thousand unique little things that are ready to brighten any home interior.
Unique artists receive hundreds of rave reviews for their art. “Textile balls are a real work of art! A huge painstaking and accurate work, and each decoration is thought out to the smallest detail – even the” scales “on the fish shimmer! Works worthy of serious collections!”
Undoubtedly, any item created by Unikale can be a perfect gift for those who appreciate handicraft and beauty.

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Realistic life-size toys by Alisa Kruglova

Realistic life-size toys by Alisa Kruglova

Toy Terrier. Materials – 100% wool, glass eyes, polymer clay. Size from chest to tail 26cm. (with paws 37cm), height to ear tip 22cm. Realistic life-size toys by Alisa Kruglova

Realistic life-size toys by Alisa Kruglova
Moscow based artist of applied art Alisa Kruglova is the creator of unusually realistic toys – copies of animals. According to Alisa, she loved and drew animals since childhood, and wanted to become a veterinarian. She graduated from medical school, but got carried away with creativity, making her first toy 10 years ago. Talented by nature, the self-taught master immediately succeeded. Everyone was in awe of her first toy, which motivated her to keep going.
At first, Alisa made toys of small sizes, and then she began to make life-size dogs. People often ask to make a copy of their pet from a photo.
Fans of Alisa’s creativity leave hundreds of rave reviews on her website. “A master with golden hands and a kind heart, who creates a wonderful mood. You amazingly captured the character of my dog ​​and very accurately conveyed the details of his appearance.” Customers thank Alisa for giving people a piece of happiness with her own hands. “We cannot change the world, but we can make others happy even a little bit”.
Undoubtedly, having a copy of our beloved pet is happiness.
A lover of animals, nature, music, and speed, Alice dreams of getting on a bike.
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Alexey Baburov jewelry art

Alexey Baburov jewelry art

Pogremushka (baby toy) Ring. Gold, amethysts, citrines, rauchtopaz. Alexey Baburov jewelry art

Alexey Baburov jewelry art
Born in 1968, Russian artist jeweler Alexey Baburov acquired his first skills in jewelry from his father, Vladimir Baburov. Having received the profession of a jeweler artist at the Krasnoselsky School of Artistic Metalworking, he returned to Khabarovsk. Baburov became a member of the Union of Artists of Russia in 1996.
Alexey himself admits that metals, stones, techniques, and indeed everything that can be used in jewelry are nothing more than paints on the artist’s palette for him. Traditionally, he uses various materials, and it doesn’t matter whether it is expensive or cheap stone or metal. Harmony matters.
According to Aleksey, he is against the mass machine production of jewelry, and all his life he has been handcrafting exclusive single items. Machine made jewelry is not art. Such jewelry is deprived of the main thing – the soul and love of the creator.
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Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches

Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches

René Magritte lovers brooch. Felt, floss, Japanese toho beads, jewelry alloy. 5.6 cm. Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches

Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches
Living in the ancient Russian city of Yaroslavl, Alexandra Minati has been fond of vintage costume jewelry for many years. Historian by profession, she has always had a passion for jewelry and handicrafts. As for miniature brooches, it all began 5 years ago. First, she embroidered fox brooch, then some cute animals, and finally she realized that embroidery based on works of world painting was more interesting. Now Alexandra is working in this direction. According to Alexandra, stitch embroidery in one thread is similar to drawing, only with the help of a needle and a thread, and of course, the master gives free rein to her own imagination. Also, she uses her favorite vintage pieces, the so-called vintage “junk”, which she collected for many years, and this “junk” still carries a certain charm. In addition, such elements (chains, parts of clips and brooches) give her ideas for future embroidery. In particular, this René Magritte inspired brooch. Making brooches takes her from 8 to several tens of hours of work, depending on the complexity.
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