SERGEI ISUPOV – (1963 - ) Russian-born artist Sergei Isupov, comes from a family of artists. After completing his education he worked and exhibited for several years, becoming a recognized artist in Northern Europe and the Baltics but not well-known in the United States. In 1996 he exhibited his surrealistically painted teapots in the Smithsonian Craft Show, and his career took a dramatic change. Resettling in the United States Isupov turned from the teapots to porcelain sculptures. Surrealism still dominates, however, with the richly painted pieces featuring emotionless figures and images which are often compared to the dream worlds of Dali and Magritte. Isupov states that the form dictates the design and that the images develop from whatever is going on in his life at the moment. His work is included in the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Everson Museum of art, and noted museums on Russia, Norway, Estonia, and Europe. ARTIST’S STATEMENT – SERGEI ISUPOV “Art is a life style for me. Everything that surrounds and excites me is automatically processed and transformed into the final result: an artwork. It is fascinating to watch the transitions from life to art. The essence of my work is not in the medium or the creative process, but in the human beings and their incredible diversity. When I think of myself and my works, I‟m not sure I create them, perhaps they create me. I find ceramic to be the most versatile material and it is well suited to the expression of my ideas. I consider sculpture to be a canvas for my paintings. All plastic, graphic, and painting elements of the piece function as complementary parts of the work.”1 1. Sergei Isupov, 2000. http://www.FerrinGallery.com RESUME – SERGEI ISUPOV 1963 Born, Stavrapole, Russia 1982 Ukrainian State Art School, Kiev, Ukraine 1983 Muxina Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia 1984-1990 Art Institute of Tallinn, B.A., M.F.A. Estonia 1989 Slavinsko Ceramic Factory, Ukraine 1990 Oslo International Ceramics Symposium, Oslo, Norway 1991 “Best Young Estonian Artist”; Union of Artists of Estonia Prize of the Ministry of Culture of Estonia 1992 International Ceramics Symposium, Dzintari, Latvia 1993 International Ceramics Overglaze Symposium, Dzintari, Latvia U.S./Russian Ceramic Artist Symposium, St. Petersburg, Russia International Ceramics Center, Kecskemet, Hungary Immigrated to Louisville, KY 1994-1997 Nine Pines Art, Louisville, KY 1995 Smithsonian Craft Show, Top Award for Excellence, Washington, D.C. 1997-2000 Studio Artist, Louisville, KY 2000 Moved to Richmond, VA Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY Ceramic National 2000, 2003, 2006 Instructor, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC 2000, 2003, 2004 Artist-in-Residence, Littleton Studios, Spruce Pine, NC 2001 Louis Comfort Tiffany Biennial Award 2003 Artist-in-Residence, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Arts/Industry Program, Kohler Company, Kohler, WI 2005 Guest Artist, Yixing Conference, Yixing, China 2006 Moved to Cummington, MA Artist-in-Residence, JamFactory, Adelaide, South Australia Artist-in-Residence, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT, International Symposium Present Studio Artist, Cummington, MA BIOGRAPHY – SERGEI ISUPOV Russian-born Sergei Isupov comes from a family of artists. His mother, Nelli Isupova, is also a ceramist working in the field of folk art, and his father, Vladimir and younger brother, Ilya, are both painters. While Sergei now makes his home in the United States, the rest of his family lives and works in Kiev, Ukraine, where they are well-known artists. Sergei was born in Stavrapole, Russia, and studied art from a young age including both classical painting and ceramics. He began his formal art instruction at the Ukrainian State Art School, the Muxina Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Art Institute of Tallinn, Estonia, where he received both a B.A. and an M.F.A. Following his graduation he participated in the Oslo International Ceramic Symposium in Oslo, Norway in 1990 and the exhibitions USSR Ceramists in Moscow, Russia, and “New Soviet Art” at the Fourth dimension Gallery in San Francisco, CA. For a time he also worked in a Soviet ceramics factory where, among other things, he made teapots for his friends. He continued to exhibit in various group shows throughout the world and at a symposium in 1992 met American ceramist Dana Major. He moved to her home state of Kentucky in 1993 and subsequently, they were married. The move was a culture shock in many ways, both artistically and personally. Although Isupov was already a recognized artist in Northern Europe and the Baltics, his work was not as well-known in the United States. He exhibited in several shows to mixed reviews before entering the Smithsonian Craft Show in 1996. There his surrealistically painted teapots were a hit, and Isupov was launched on his career in his adopted country. His marriage, unfortunately, did not fare as well, and soon after it ended. The change in his personal life was also reflected in a change in his art. He stopped making teapots and began making porcelain sculptures. He also moved from Kentucky to Richmond, VA, and for a time immersed himself in his work. More recently he moved to Cummington, MA where he continues to work as a studio artist. Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Gallery in Massachusetts says Isupov‟s work is “figurative in both form and content.”1 His figures are constructed of slabs of porcelain and incorporate images that are animal and human, male and female. The figures themselves show little or no emotion, almost holding the viewer at a distance. More figures and images are then painted on the ceramic figure, images that speak of hidden thoughts and complex feelings and relationships. Stains and glazes contrast with stark black and white drawings and cover almost all the piece including the base and even the soles of feet. His work is often compared to the dream worlds of Dali and Magritte. Isupov states that the form itself dictates the decoration and that the images come out of his daily life, particularly what is going on in his life at the moment of creation. “The form of the object gives me an idea of what‟s supposed to be there. It‟s autobiographical, but it‟s how I observe this life. The works should be on fire with this energy.”2 In addition to working full time as a studio artist, Isupov has taught a number of workshops and artist-in-residencies. He has received awards for his work both in the United States and abroad including the Louis Comfort Tiffany Biennial Award in 2001. Numerous public and private collections include his work. Among them are the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA; The Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC; the Minneapolis Museum of Art; and the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY, as well as noted museums on Russia, Norway, Estonia, and Europe. The Ferrin Gallery, Lennox, MA exhibited Isupov‟s sculptures at the SOFA Chicago show in 1996 and has continued to show his work each year since. In 2006 the gallery honored Isupov with a show commemorating their ten year relationship. 1. http://www.ferringallery.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?artistID=10 2. http://www.scrappaper.us/fragile.html SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY – SERGEI ISUPOV Books and Catalogs Boyd, Karen Johnson. The Nude in Clay II. Chicago, IL: Perimeter Gallery, 1998. Burkett, Richard. Masters – Porcelain. New York: Lark Books, 2008. Clark, Garth. The Artful Teapot. New York: Watson-Guptill, 2001. Del Vecchio, Mark. Postmodern Ceramics. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2001. Dixon, Stephen, and Paul Scott. Surface Tension. Adelaide: JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design, 2005. Ferrin, Leslie. Teapots Transformed. Madison, WI: Guild Publishing, 2000. The Figure in Clay. New York: Lark Books, 2005. 500 Figures in Clay. New York: Lark Books, 2004. Flynn, Michael. Ceramic Figures. Rutgers, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Hopper, Robin. Making Marks. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2004. Isupov, Sergei. Sergei Isupov: Sculpture 1996-2006. Lenox, MA: Ferrin Gallery, 2006. Lauria, Jo. Color and Fire. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2000. Mathieu, Paul. Sex Pots. Rutgers, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2003. Morgenthal, Deborah, and Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott. The Penland Book of Ceramics. New York: Lark books, 2003. Ostermann, Matthias. The Ceramic Narrative. London: A&C Black, 2005. _______. The Ceramic Surface. London: A&C Black, 2002. Perisho, Sally L., and Inez K. Pharo. Altered States: Contemporary American Ceramics. Denver, CO: Metropolitan State College, Center for the Visual Arts, 1996. Schwartz, Judith. Confrontational Clay. Kansas City, MO: Exhibits USA, Mid-Atlantic Arts Alliance, 2000. Thirty Ceramic Sculptors. Davis, CA: John Natsoulas Press, 2005. Triplett, Kathy. 500 Teapots. New York: Lark Books, 2002. Periodicals Bell, Robert. “Sergei Isupov: To Be Object of Attentions.” Artonview no. 46 (Winter 2006): 44. _______. “Transformations: the Language of Craft.” Artonview no. 44 (Summer 2005/2006): 8- 14. Boulanger, Susan. “Subject-Me-Object.” Art New England 24 no. 6 (October/November 2003): 23. Bowers, Stephen. “Wandering Stars.” Ceramics (Sydney, Australia) no. 65 (2006): 34-36. Chambers, Karen S. “Sergei Isupov.” American Craft 59 no. 1 (February/March 1999): 62-65. Cloonan, Mary K. “Flesh and Emotion.” Ceramics (Sydney, Australia) no. 49 (2002): 41-44. Connell, Jim. “Evolving Legacies.” Ceramics Monthly 49 no. 3 (March 2001): 115-122. Harrod, Tanya. “As I Please.” Crafts (London, England) no. 198 (January/February 2006): 98. Hinchliffe, Meredith. “Transformations: Narrative, Materiality, Structure.” Artonview no. 44 (Summer 2005/2006): 16-21. Kangas, Matthew. “San Antonio: „Big Head: Ceramic Sculpture on a Heroic Scale‟.” Sculpture (Washington D.C.) 21 no. 9 (November 2002): 78. Leigh, Bobbie. “All Fired Up.” Art & Antiques 27 no. 5 (May 2004): 34, 36-37.