Flowers and Birds
Rita Haak
Context
The cycles of nature captured in ceramic bas-reliefs.
Since the late 19th century, the area where the modern SVOBODA2 creative cluster is now located — at the corner of Nagornaya and Akhmatovskaya Streets (now Svobody Street) — was home to a yeast and distillery plant. Later, in 1942, an evacuated factory from Leningrad producing plexiglass was established on the site, operating until the end of the 20th century. For many years, this industrial area remained closed to the public, until the revitalization of the space began in 2017, leading to the creation of a modern cluster that has become a hub for the local creative community.
Yeast and distillery plant in the 19th century. Source: LiveJournal
The SVOBODA2 cluster today
In her artistic practice, Rita Haak draws on a variety of images and symbols: mushrooms, tentacles, moons, stars, the sea, and dragons come together in her works, creating a unique world. However, according to the artist herself, the themes of growth and transformation are best embodied by her favorite motifs — flowers and birds. For Rita, they symbolize vitality, beauty, and movement. As the surface for installing the ceramic bas-reliefs, a historic brick chimney was chosen.
- Rita HaakArtistI fell in love with it [the chimney]. It soars upward by itself, and now the birds on it are reaching for the sky too. Plus, I love working with brick — in my opinion, ceramics go perfectly with it.
In the series of ceramic bas-reliefs "Flowers and Birds", flowers symbolize change: they go through a full cycle — from seed to bloom, withering, and returning to the earth. Birds and flowers are inseparably connected: flowers produce fruit, birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds, from which new flowers grow. The difference in scale and level of detail between the elements creates additional visual tension and gives the composition a sense of upward movement.
Since the late 19th century, the area where the modern SVOBODA2 creative cluster is now located — at the corner of Nagornaya and Akhmatovskaya Streets (now Svobody Street) — was home to a yeast and distillery plant. Later, in 1942, an evacuated factory from Leningrad producing plexiglass was established on the site, operating until the end of the 20th century. For many years, this industrial area remained closed to the public, until the revitalization of the space began in 2017, leading to the creation of a modern cluster that has become a hub for the local creative community.
Yeast and distillery plant in the 19th century. Source: LiveJournal
The SVOBODA2 cluster today
In her artistic practice, Rita Haak draws on a variety of images and symbols: mushrooms, tentacles, moons, stars, the sea, and dragons come together in her works, creating a unique world. However, according to the artist herself, the themes of growth and transformation are best embodied by her favorite motifs — flowers and birds. For Rita, they symbolize vitality, beauty, and movement. As the surface for installing the ceramic bas-reliefs, a historic brick chimney was chosen.
- Rita HaakArtistI fell in love with it [the chimney]. It soars upward by itself, and now the birds on it are reaching for the sky too. Plus, I love working with brick — in my opinion, ceramics go perfectly with it.
In the series of ceramic bas-reliefs "Flowers and Birds", flowers symbolize change: they go through a full cycle — from seed to bloom, withering, and returning to the earth. Birds and flowers are inseparably connected: flowers produce fruit, birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds, from which new flowers grow. The difference in scale and level of detail between the elements creates additional visual tension and gives the composition a sense of upward movement.
Process
Art form: series of ceramic bas-reliefs
Material: ceramics
Material: ceramics
- Rita HaakArtistI do most of the work in my studio. It’s a long and careful process. Clay doesn’t tolerate haste. First, I sculpt the piece, then it needs to dry for several days. After that, it’s fired at a high temperature, glazed, and fired again. One bird or flower can take more than a week to complete. Of course, I work on several pieces at once, but this process still demands a lot of time, patience, and perseverance.
- Rita HaakArtistI do most of the work in my studio. It’s a long and careful process. Clay doesn’t tolerate haste. First, I sculpt the piece, then it needs to dry for several days. After that, it’s fired at a high temperature, glazed, and fired again. One bird or flower can take more than a week to complete. Of course, I work on several pieces at once, but this process still demands a lot of time, patience, and perseverance.
A few days before Rita Haak arrived in Chelyabinsk, a public workshop on creating a mosaic panel using the trencadístechnique was held at the SVOBODA2 cluster by ceramic artist Anastasia Kuzminykh. (Trencadís — from the Catalan word for "fragile" or "breakable" — is a mosaic technique made from fragments of broken ceramics) For this project, participants brought used ceramic items, which became the material for the composition. Together, residents created a collaborative mosaic of a bird, based on a sketch by Rita Haak.
The process of creating the mosaic
The final result of the workshop
A few days before Rita Haak arrived in Chelyabinsk, a public workshop on creating a mosaic panel using the trencadístechnique was held at the SVOBODA2 cluster by ceramic artist Anastasia Kuzminykh. (Trencadís — from the Catalan word for "fragile" or "breakable" — is a mosaic technique made from fragments of broken ceramics) For this project, participants brought used ceramic items, which became the material for the composition. Together, residents created a collaborative mosaic of a bird, based on a sketch by Rita Haak.
The process of creating the mosaic
The final result of the workshop
Interesting facts about the work:
- The composition consists of 45 unique elements
- 23 flowers and 22 birds were handcrafted by the artist
- It took 1 month to complete the "Flowers and Birds" series
Interesting facts about the work:
- The composition consists of 45 unique elements
- 23 flowers and 22 birds were handcrafted by the artist
- It took 1 month to complete the "Flowers and Birds" series
The work "Flowers and Birds"
The work "Flowers and Birds"
Author
- Rita Haak (Yekaterinburg)ArtistI fill my artistic universe with creatures and plants, objects and symbols. It’s important for me to evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and inspire — to create something lively and kind, so that the viewer has a chance to turn to their own imagination.
- Rita Haak (Yekaterinburg)ArtistI fill my artistic universe with creatures and plants, objects and symbols. It’s important for me to evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and inspire — to create something lively and kind, so that the viewer has a chance to turn to their own imagination.
Rita Haak is a contemporary artist from Yekaterinburg, known for her expressive style, vibrant imagery, and whimsical characters. She works in a wide range of techniques — from painting, drawing, and ceramics to street art. Many of her ceramic works can be found on the streets of her hometown, where she continues to share personal reflections and capture the attention of passersby with her unusual art objects.
Rita Haak is a contemporary artist from Yekaterinburg, known for her expressive style, vibrant imagery, and whimsical characters. She works in a wide range of techniques — from painting, drawing, and ceramics to street art. Many of her ceramic works can be found on the streets of her hometown, where she continues to share personal reflections and capture the attention of passersby with her unusual art objects.
The series of ceramic bas-reliefs was created by
Rita Haak
Artist
Kristina Onosova
Executive Producer
Aleksei Shakhov
Creative Producer
Grigory Kozlov
Technical Director
Maria Kochneva
Executive producer of the project
Maria Ushakova
Creative producer of the project
Polina Ej
Project Manager
Yulia Bulygina
Communications Manager
Ivan Fiev
Development Director
Lyubov Kabalinova
Photographer and Videographer