I Create Sculptural Ceramic Lighting and Objects

I’m Polina Artamonova, a designer and artist working with ceramic lighting, sculptural objects, and collectible design.

My work is shaped by a long-standing interest in volume, silhouette, material, and the emotional effect of light. I design table lamps, wall sconces, pendant lights, and ceramic objects that are functional, but also have the presence of small sculptures.

Each collection begins with drawing, model development, and direct work with form. Ceramic is treated not as decoration, but as an active material that can soften light, hold texture, and give a functional object a distinct presence. The studio develops table lamps, wall sconces, pendants, vessels, and custom pieces for private and professional interiors.

I originally trained as an illustrator, but even during my studies I was drawn beyond the flat image. I began exploring volume through pop-up books and three-dimensional compositions, and gradually realized that I wanted to create objects that could exist physically in space.

That interest led me to decorative lighting. I spent several years designing lighting collections, developing concepts through drawing and 3D modeling, and learning how scale, proportion, materials, and production influence the final object.

Ceramic entered my practice through hands-on experimentation. What began as a way to step away from the screen quickly became the material I had been looking for.

Clay responds to pressure, movement, time, and heat. It can preserve a gesture, soften a geometric form, create a tactile surface, or change the way light is reflected around an object.

Working with ceramic allowed me to test ideas directly and understand how the material itself can guide the development of a form. My first ceramic lighting collections — KENI, FLOW, and NUN — grew from this

I describe my approach as emotional design.

Function is essential, but it is never the only purpose of an object. I want a lamp to create a response through its silhouette, color, texture, or the way it transforms light.

Some pieces produce a quiet reflected glow. Others create deeper shadows, graphic patterns, or a stronger sculptural presence. Even when the light is switched off, the object remains part of the interior.

For me, ceramic has a warmth and physical presence that makes it especially suited to this approach. Its natural variations are not imperfections; they are part of what gives each piece its character.

Each collection begins differently. Sometimes it starts with a drawing, sometimes with a three-dimensional model, and sometimes with direct work in clay.

I use both traditional ceramic methods and digital tools. Depending on the design, the process may include hand-building, slab construction, casting, 3D modeling, custom molds, surface treatment, glazing, and high-temperature firing. I also combine ceramic with glass, metal, or wood when the design requires it.

The goal is not to make every object mechanically identical. I look for consistency in the design while preserving the subtle differences in surface, tone, and contour that belong to ceramic.

I create lighting and objects for private interiors, interior designers, architects, hospitality projects, and collectors.

The studio develops individual pieces, coordinated collections, custom colors and finishes, modified versions of existing designs, and new objects created for a particular space.

Whether I am working on a single table lamp or a larger series, I approach the project in the same way: by considering how the object will relate to the surrounding architecture, materials, and light.

I want to create objects that bring more than illumination into an interior.

My aim is to make lighting that feels expressive, tactile, and emotionally present — objects that can change the atmosphere of a space and remain meaningful over time.