Hello, I’m Lembyk, a ceramic creature from Ukraine.
I come from Opishnia, a small town in the Poltava region, renowned as the heart of Ukrainian pottery. One of the brightest chapters in the region’s artistic heritage is its tradition of ceramic sculpture.
Traditional Opishnia figurative vessels were first thrown on a potter’s wheel, where the main elements—the body, legs, and neck—were carefully formed. These parts were then assembled before the potter began sculpting the finer details by hand. Originally, such vessels were used to serve wine and other drinks at the table.
Over time, they evolved into decorative objects for the home, yet they retained all the defining features of a functional vessel: a hollow body, a pouring spout, and a handle shaped like a tail. Potters gave them the forms of rams, goats, horses, and birds, though the most beloved figures have always been the bull and the lion. Their sculptural interpretations are virtually endless.
From the beginning of the twentieth century until the 1930s, Opishnia became a thriving centre of ceramics. Pottery workshops gradually grew into factories, while specialised schools were established to train generations of masters in the art of ceramic making.
Today, contemporary ceramic artists continue to create us, drawing inspiration from the works of the old masters and honouring centuries of tradition.
We are the new generation of Lembyks. Through us, these traditions continue to live, and together we hope to introduce the world to the rich heritage and unique culture of Ukraine.