However, when you are inside the old manor house, you will be breathless with what you see. Chessboard-like four-meter high walls (of brick and stone), vaulted ceilings, antique parquet, room-studio with the original muffle furnaces and three spacious halls, where one can see a wonderful world of art works. Here are ceramic works of applied and decorative arts (plates, spoons, vases, mirrors, decorative beetles and butterflies), and sculptures of bronze, terracotta, glass and wood. Olesia, the citizen of Uzhhorod, and Andrii from Lviv graduated from Lviv Academy of Arts.

Before that, Olesia studied at Uzhhorod College of Arts named after A. Erdeli, and Andrii – at Lviv State College of Decorative and Applied Arts named after I. Trush. His element is interior and sculpture, but hers - ceramics and glass. They have been feeling love of the beautiful since their childhood. Both of them are descendants of art families: Olesia's father-Imre Syvokhop, was a woodcarver, and Andrii’s father is a well - known artist and art critic Borys Voznytskyi. Olesia says that ceramics is her way to escape. She prefers clay to glass. Clay is soft and safe, and glass has its limitations. To find the material for creative work is not a problem for the couple. Clay, for example, is available in their private land at Lazkyi Bereh in Uzhhorod district, and for ceramics they use domestic or foreign material.

For many years Andrii’s major activity has been design of interiors. However, in recent years, according to him, he is finally able to find time for art and sculpture. Andrii admits that there are many creative personalities who inspire him: “I find the soul mates who feel the universe like me. For example, Henry Moore, a sculptor, Miro, an artist. My ideal is nature, it created everything, we are just to see it and transform.” Olesia creates, looking for her own style. First of all, she appreciates originality and recognisability in artists. Andrii has already participated in several collective exhibitions, Olesia – hasn’t yet, because she believes that “everyone should “become fully ripe” for this, it is very individual thing.” The couple, when they have time and opportunity, tries to travel a lot. After all, every country is new ideas.

Each culture, nature, even the smell of the country affects what appears in their works. He looks for emotions in his work, she looks for the colour. They are different and at the same time so similar, that’s why they consider themselves a creative tandem: “Each of us often consult the other about everything that we do, because we are interested in the opinion of the other and thus making conclusions”. Thanks to the art and family tandem, soon there will be a new creative location in artistic Uzhhorod. In fact, they are going to turn their own studio into art showroom, where, in addition to the exposition and contemplation of art works, one will be able to enjoy the open process of their creation.

Text: Oleksandr Nikitchuk
Photo: Oksana Yurchenko