Interview
Mariia Luchuk
Mariia Luchuk is a Ukrainian-born ceramic artist currently based in Connecticut, USA. She received her academic training in fine arts from the Kosiv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts and professional art schools in Ukraine, where she studied drawing, painting, composition, sculpture, and ceramic design. Deeply rooted in the Hutsul ceramic tradition — recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage — Mariia reinterprets folk motifs through a contemporary lens, developing her own sculptural approach to tableware and objects. Her work explores the philosophy of imperfection, inspired by nature and aesthetics such as wabi-sabi and kurinuki. Each piece reflects the dialogue between tradition and innovation, balancing functional design with poetic meaning. Known for her unique porcelain technique, she creates lightweight yet durable forms that have become her artistic signature. Mariia’s ceramics have been exhibited internationally in Ukraine, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Highlights include Superfine Art Fair in New York, KUMF Gallery in Toronto, and Dreams and Nightmares in London.
Her works are also present in cultural and culinary contexts, including a permanent display at Jacob’s Steakhouse in Toronto (Michelin Guide, Top 100 Steakhouses Worldwide), as well as an international commission for the Office of the Prince of Saudi Arabia. Through her practice, Mariia weaves cultural memory with contemporary expression, creating ceramics that invite viewers to embrace the beauty of individuality and imperfection.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My journey in art began in early childhood, long before I could fully name it a “career.” Since I can remember, I have always been shaping, drawing, and creating — the tactile world of clay felt natural to me from the age of ten, when I entered a professional art school in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. There, I received a rigorous foundation in drawing, painting, composition, sculpture, and art history. Those years formed my discipline and gave me not just skills, but also a deep awareness of artistic traditions and their meaning in culture. After completing five years at art school, I continued at the Kosiv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts — part of the Lviv National Academy of Arts. This region is famous for its centuries-old Hutsul ceramic traditions, recognized today on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Studying in Kosiv meant not only developing my academic training, but also being immersed in that cultural DNA. My diploma project was a large ceramic triptych based on a Ukrainian folktale, ‘The Fox and the Crane,’ created for a children’s institution. It combined sculptural relief, traditional ornament, and modern structural solutions, showing me how folk tradition could be reinterpreted into contemporary contexts.
Later, my institute project took a different form — I collaborated with the city of Kosiv to design and produce ceramic address plaques for the town. These works combined chamotte clay with interpretations of Hutsul ornament. Years later, those plaques are still visible on the streets of Kosiv — a quiet but lasting contribution to the cultural face of the city. Following my studies, I founded my own ceramic studio. For the first time, I was free to experiment beyond tradition. I explored sculptural objects, tableware, and installations that merged function with artistic language. My work shifted toward a more design-driven, contemporary expression of ceramics. Through countless experiments, I developed a unique porcelain technique that results in surprisingly lightweight yet durable forms — a method that has since become my signature and is now in the process of patenting. My artistic journey, however, cannot be separated from the world events that shaped it.
In 2022, just days before a planned exhibition abroad, war came to Ukraine. For months, I stayed in the Carpathian mountains, trying to process fear and uncertainty, channeling emotions into my clay. Eventually, I was able to travel to the United States, where my postponed exhibition finally took place. It was a profound moment: standing in an American gallery, I realized that my art was not only a personal language, but a voice that resonated with audiences across cultures. That experience encouraged me to continue abroad. In Canada, I became an active member of Toronto’s art scene, participating in numerous exhibitions and joining professional art associations. My works entered both private collections and restaurants, including Jacob’s Steakhouse — one of the top 100 steakhouses in the world, listed in the Michelin Guide, where my handmade porcelain continues to be featured. I also fulfilled a commission for the Office of the Prince of Saudi Arabia, an experience that underlined the international reach of my work. Today, based in Connecticut, United States, I continue this journey. Looking back, I see my path not as a series of breaks but as a continuous thread — from folk heritage in Ukraine, to contemporary design in Canada, to the multicultural exchange I now live and build in the United States. My background is both academic and intuitive, rooted in tradition yet open to constant reinvention. Every stage — whether a childhood sketchbook, a ceramic plaque in Kosiv, or a table setting in a Michelin-listed restaurant — is part of the same evolving story of clay, culture, and connection.”
What inspires you?
“I find my deepest inspiration in two intertwined sources: nature and tradition. From the quiet irregularity of stones and leaves to the rhythm of mountains and rivers, I am drawn to organic forms that remind us that nothing in life is identical. This philosophy resonates with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi — the search for beauty in imperfection. In my work, I embrace asymmetry and irregularity, because in both nature and humanity, what is imperfect often carries the greatest truth and emotional depth. At the same time, my academic foundation and cultural heritage are a constant source of pride and strength. I studied for many years in professional art schools and academies, where I gained not only technical mastery but also a scientific understanding of clay and glazes — their chemistry, physics, and safe interaction with people. This allows me to create works that are not only visually poetic but also functional, safe, and lasting. I see this knowledge as essential: when we make objects that become part of people’s daily lives — a cup, a plate, a teapot — we carry responsibility for their well-being as well as their aesthetic experience.
Finally, I am inspired by the visual language of Ukrainian folk art, especially the decorated ceramics of the Hutsul region, where I studied. Although I reinterpret those motifs through my own contemporary lens, their essence remains a part of my DNA. Every brushstroke on a plate, every textured surface carries echoes of that tradition, while also reflecting my personal search for connection between the past and the present. In short, my inspiration comes from a dialogue: between nature and culture, imperfection and harmony, scientific knowledge and intuitive creation. This dialogue shapes every piece I bring into the world.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The central theme in my work is the beauty of imperfection. I deliberately move away from perfectly symmetrical, machine-like forms, because for me they lack emotion. I find that a plate with an uneven edge, a cup with a slight asymmetry, or a surface shaped by fire during firing carries a more authentic presence. Each piece becomes a record of natural processes — shaped not only by my hands but also by clay, glaze, and the unpredictable energy of the kiln. In this sense, my work is a dialogue with nature. Just as a river shapes a branch or a stone over time, the fire in the kiln leaves its mark on the ceramic body. No two pieces are ever identical, and that uniqueness is at the heart of their value. Through this approach, I challenge the modern idea of perfection as uniformity, suggesting instead that true beauty lies in individuality and irregularity. My palette and surfaces often echo natural tones and textures, connecting everyday functional objects back to the earth they come from. Beneath the aesthetics lies a deeper message: to embrace imperfection as a mirror of life itself. In a world that often seeks flawless repetition, my ceramics invite viewers and users to slow down, to notice small differences, and to accept that irregularity is not a flaw but a form of truth.”
How would you describe your work?
“At first glance, my work often appears simple — a hand-shaped plate, a vessel with minimal decoration, or a teapot carved in an unassuming form. Yet behind this simplicity lies an intensive and demanding process. Each piece requires multiple stages of shaping, testing, and firing, where even the smallest variation in glaze chemistry, kiln atmosphere, or clay body can alter the outcome. Many works never leave the studio, because I hold them to both artistic and functional standards. This is where the paradox of my practice lives: I embrace irregularity and imperfection as part of my philosophy, but I also pursue a personal sense of balance between beauty and utility. For me, imperfection is meaningful only when it enhances the tactile and visual experience, not when it compromises function. That is why I spend months developing forms or re-making a piece until it feels ‘true’ — not flawless in the conventional sense, but harmonious in its own language. I would describe my ceramics as objects of quiet presence: visually minimal, but layered with the complexity of material, technique, and philosophy. They invite the viewer or user to look closer, to touch, and to sense the invisible labor and thought embedded in what may first seem to be simple.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I am influenced by artists whose work reflects both courage and originality, each of them teaching me something different about what it means to create. From Pablo Picasso, I draw inspiration not only from his ceramics — the way he painted on plates and vessels — but also from his approach to the art market. He understood that art could be both deeply personal and widely accessible, and his ability to balance creativity with sustainability continues to guide me. Frida Kahlo has always been a symbol of resilience to me. Like the Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka, Kahlo transformed personal pain into universal art. Her persistence in creating despite physical suffering reminds me that artistic expression is not optional — it is a necessity. I am moved by the radiance of Vincent van Gogh, whose works seem to glow from within. No matter where they are displayed, they demand attention with their intensity and emotional light.
In contrast, the surreal imagination of Salvador Dalí fascinates me — his ability to cross boundaries between fine art, design, and even something as simple as the Chupa Chups logo proves that art can live everywhere. Among Ukrainian artists, Maria Prymachenko is especially close to me. Her fantastical creatures, imagined rather than observed, remind me that art is not only about representing what exists but also about creating new worlds. Her bold imagination inspires me to push beyond what is visible and familiar. In addition to these figures, I am shaped by Japanese aesthetics such as wabi-sabi and ceramic techniques like kurinuki, which value imperfection, texture, and natural form. These philosophies echo my own artistic path and connect my work to broader global traditions.”
“At first glance, my work often appears simple — a hand-shaped plate, a vessel with minimal decoration, or a teapot carved in an unassuming form. Yet behind this simplicity lies an intensive and demanding process.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process begins with intuition rather than strict planning. Often, I suddenly ‘see’ the finished piece in my mind — not as an abstract idea, but as if it already exists. In those moments, I know its form, its color, its texture, even the glaze I will use. Once the vision appears, the rest becomes a matter of technique, discipline, and material knowledge. For example, when I recently created a ceramic chess set, the idea did not come from sketching or deliberate design. It arrived suddenly, almost like a flash — I saw the pieces carved in the kurinuki technique, set into a raw wooden board with contrasting ceramic tiles, their surfaces reminiscent of volcanic stone. That image was so vivid in my mind that I was able to begin shaping the figures the same day. This is typical of my process: inspiration appears unexpectedly, but it is supported by years of academic training and technical mastery. I rely on my deep knowledge of clay, glaze chemistry, and firing to bring these visions into reality. In this way, my practice balances intuition with craft, spontaneity with discipline. Every piece I create is born from this intersection of vision and skill.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The role of an artist in society is fundamental. No matter how advanced or wealthy a society becomes, without culture it cannot truly be called civilized. Culture is the soul of a community, and artists — whether painters, poets, musicians, or ceramicists — are the ones who shape that soul. We may not always be in the spotlight, but we create the invisible framework that gives meaning to everyday life. Without artists, society risks losing its sense of purpose; it may know how to build, but not why. I believe that thoughtful artists, those who do more than simply produce objects for the market, help to define the values of their time. They ask questions, they preserve memory, and they create visions that move people beyond the material into the emotional and spiritual. In this way, artists provide not only beauty but also guidance, reminding us of our humanity. I often think about the words of Kurt Vonnegut, who once advised students to ‘make art, any art,’ not for recognition but because it enriches the soul and gives life meaning. This advice was later read aloud with great emotion by the actor Ian McKellen, and it still resonates deeply with me. It reflects what I believe: art is not a luxury, but a necessity. It is what connects us, uplifts us, and allows us to see ourselves more clearly. As the world changes, the artist’s role only grows more essential. In a time of rapid technology and global challenges, we need art to keep us human — to remind us of our roots, our dreams, and our shared future.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My most recent exhibitions include: Markham Artisan Market, Canada in 2023, as well as Dreams and Nightmares Exhibition, Gallery in London, UK. I also participated in several international online exhibitions and art projects. I have a permanent display in collaboration with Jacob’s Steakhouse in Toronto (Michelin Guide, Top 100 Steakhouses Worldwide). In 2023, I did an international commission for the Office of the Prince of Saudi Arabia.”
