Valentyna Prytula
Valentyna Prytula (b. 1998) is a Ukrainian ceramic artist working with tableware and contemporary ceramic art. She studied at the Poltava National Technical University and is currently pursuing an MFA at the Institut für Künstlerische Keramik und Glas, Germany.
She has completed internships at the European Ceramic Work Center (EKWC) in the Netherlands and participated in the International Ceramics Symposium “Bukovina” in Ukraine. Her work experience includes commissioned ceramic projects, assisting at EKWC workshops, and working as an artist assistant.
Prytula has exhibited internationally, including in Germany, Poland, and Turkey, and was an invited artist at the Wood Firing Symposium in Ankara.
Her work is focused on the relationship between material and form. Recently, her artistic focus has shifted towards expressing personal experiences, using art as a way to process emotions and self-reflect. Through this approach, she aims to create works that resonate on a personal level, with the goal of making art that is not only meaningful but also deeply connected to her inner world.
A key aspect of her practice is experimenting with different materials, often drawing inspiration from natural elements. She uses these materials not just as an aesthetic choice, but also as metaphors for her emotional experiences, allowing the texture, weight, and shape of the materials to reflect her personal journey. Each sculpture becomes a visual language where the materials themselves express the feelings and thoughts she experiences, making the works both intimate and expressive.
Artworks
In the flow of all that is going on in the world, all that is being said on TV, what has been happening to people for the last few years and beyond, I wanted to reflect a bit on this topic and portray my impression. I wanted to create a game without rules, where finally people themselves can decide what will happen next. My inspiration came from the game “Spot the Game” that I used to play as a child. But now the game has a different meaning, not only entertainment, but it also makes people think about rules and influence.
This piece is part of the "Landscape" series, which began as I sketched the landscapes of my new home. The idea evolved as I reflected on how I felt in this new place, leading me to bring the concept to life through clay. In creating these works, I often think about my inner state and how the surroundings affect me. The term “landscape” here doesn’t refer to the physical world, but rather to how I see and experience my own inner world. With each new place I live, I create a new piece, using this process to reflect and shape my understanding of the world. Every detail—color, form, texture—matters in telling the story of my personal journey.
This work reflects personal feelings of loneliness, experienced when I came across a small seashell on a Dutch beach, far from home. The image of the seashell, washed up on the shore, became a symbol of inner loneliness, which, despite the support of others, remains a strong and unavoidable feeling. The sand in the piece symbolizes the connection to moments and memories that make up your personal story. This artwork is an attempt to understand and express the silent loneliness you face, a feeling that cannot be ignored.