stratum
who?
authors:
polina shutova
varvara kozlova
polina dolgaiya
elvira ibadulla-zade
curator:
tatiana vinokurova
photo:
nilita teplitsky
where?
Craftnotes gallery
Moscow, russia
when?
21.08.2025 - 21.10.2025
what?
Stratum — Latin for «layer» — refers to both geological strata and layers of meaning. The exhibition brings together artists working with ceramics and textiles, exploring the multilayered nature of both the material itself and the possible images and conceptual interweavings of works created from it.

The works presented at the exhibition draw parallels between found fragments, archaic forms, and man-made objects.

Intentionally created, the objects mimic the process of natural transformation and loss of integrity, followed by the re-emergence of form.


Fundamentally archetypal, they become artefacts of an indeterminate time, created now or thousands of years ago.

The artists don't copy historical images, but instead create their own visual language, creating objects that seem simultaneously primordial and meditative.


Transforming abstract sensations into tactile compositions.


Telling the stories of their works through cracks, irregularities, fingerprints, and layers of material. Transforming meanings, inviting the viewer to put together the fascinating nature of the objects.

The result is a quiet archaeology of the present.

Not reconstructions of lost worlds, but evidence that certain forms can be reborn over time and re-emerge in new interpretations..

The restrained emotionality of the works, their metaphorical nature, and the complex semantic language of their images invite the viewer to engage in dialogue and mutual coyntemplation, endowing the reality with new meanings and depth of perception.

The exhibition reveals artistic gestures as archaeological finds — multilayered fragments of meaning awaiting decipherment.
Nature and thoughts take on physical form. Myths transform into color and texture. objects of the present become artefacts, fragments of a lost whole.
This exhibition is like an archaeological excavation through layers of meaning.