Earth and Heaven

Exhibition of porcelain by Nellie Petrova

The exhibition Earth and Heaven in the Chapel Anteroom (a.k.a. Stasov Hall) of the Catherine Palace showcases the creative heritage and marks the 70th birth anniversary of Nellie Petrova, a famous artist and porcelain sculptor from St Petersburg.

Nellie Petrova’s personal exhibition is a remarkable event for 2019, a year rich in significant events not only for St Petersburg’s Imperial Porcelain Manufactory but also for the history of Russian porcelain. First of all, it is 275 years since the founding of Russia's first porcelain factory. The other significant dates are 75 years of the famous Cobalt Net pattern and 50 years since the industrial production of bone china was started in Russia.

Petrova is the head artist of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, an honoured artist of the Russian Federation and an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts. Her talent is surpassed only by her unstoppable creative energy and amazing efficiency, which, despite her administrative responsibilities, allow her to find the time and strength to create some truly outstanding works of decorative and applied art.

The range of the artist’s creativity is huge: from simple cozy cups to ceremonial sets. Nothing seems impossible for this brilliant decorator and remarkable sculptor. With the same skill she creates fantastic objects and large-scale imaginative compositions, such as ‘On the Hills of Karelia’ or ‘Out for Hunting: Meal’, and some utilitarian dishware sets. For this exhibition Nellie Petrova, who lived in Pushkin town (Tsarskoe Selo) until 1975, has designed a new tea set titled ‘Terem’ (tower-chamber).

Throughout her entire career, Nellie Petrova has been drawn to the Russian fairy tales’ philosophy, the essence of human relations and the charms of folk costumes and chamomile fields. She likes joking as well: her porcelain world includes a jumping hare which is named Ampir (the Empire style) and is a ‘resident of Tsarskoe Selo’. An important component of her creative arsenal is the theme of hunting and the beauty of a forest with its inhabitants and berry grounds, reflected in porcelain as national tradition and intangible cultural heritage.

A number of Petrova’s works are filled with philosophical overtones. Her extraordinary interior object titled ‘On the Hills of Karelia’ is not just an admiring of northern nature but reflections on human life in the context of cosmic existence. According to the artist, the ‘quintessence of the sublime’ is present in her porcelain plaques with the images of Christ Pantocrator and Nicholas the Wonderworker. The purity and power of her artistic talent directs our view from the ordinary to Heaven, into the realm of the Holy Spirit.

Nelli Petrova is proud to have worked at the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory for over 40 years and keeps saying that she is a ‘person of the factory’ which gives her strength and energy enough to share with everyone.

This exhibition is our fifth joint project with the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory and runs from May 22 to September 20, 2019.