by the shimmering of the moon she saw …

KATERINA GEIDUKA

by the shimmering of the moon she saw …

15.08.-12.10.2025.

I was inspired by the Italian folk tale "Handless Maiden" - a story of trauma, exile and transformation. This archetypal plot becomes the basis of an installation in which the viewer enters a magical space: a forest with metal trees and porcelain fruits filled with the seeds of new life. Through the contact of two different materials, I express the tension associated with bodily memory, vulnerability and the desire for restoration.

Exploring the rich history of porcelain, its connection to power, tradition and taste, I use its fragility and plasticity to speak about bodily vulnerability and the female experience.

This is what ceramist Katerina Geiduka says about her first solo exhibition “by the shimmering of the moon she saw” at the Riga Porcelain Museum. The artist has been working specifically on the works for this exhibition for over a year, conjuring up a magical world, a kind of porcelain fairy tale.

Like a spider, I weave my space, my identity in motion – between countries and languages, death and life. This thread – almost invisible but persistent – connects memory, trauma, a sense of home and the desire for freedom. It maintains its shape even when everything around crumbles. I create spaces that invite the viewer to slow down, observe and feel the silent process of metamorphosis. In the exhibition, I address questions of identity through the prism of mythological images and symbols, creating a visual language in which the personal intertwines with the mythical and invites contemplative participation.

Katerina Geiduka graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, Department of Design and Decorative Crafts, Ceramics (2018), and completed her training at the various porcelain and ceramic factories in Belarus. She subsequently moved to Latvia and, together with ceramist Kaspars Geiduks (1988-2021), worked in their joint studios in Bebri parish, Koknese region. In 2023, she received a Masters degree, graduating from the Department of Visual Plastic Arts, Ceramics sub-branch of the Art Academy of Latvia. She has participated in juried exhibitions, symposiums and residencies in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, China and Korea; since 2024, she has been one of five artists representing Latvia at the International Academy of Ceramics (Geneva, Switzerland).

The exhibition is financially supported by the Riga City State Municipality and the State Culture Capital Foundation.