Originally from the South of France, I began traveling at a young age, nurturing a growing passion for the history and art of Central and Eastern Europe. After completing a Master's degree in History and Geopolitics at the University of Geneva—where I published a dissertation on the postpunk revival in the post-Soviet space in 2023—I joined the Agency of artists in exile in Paris. There, I met Liza and Andrii, two artists whose work and personalities deeply touched me.

Now based between Paris and Krakow, where I am pursuing photography studies, I continue to explore the connections between art, memory, and territory. Meeting Liza and Andrii was decisive in my approach: their world opened me up to ceramics, a medium that I discover with fascination, as much for its visual richness as for its expressive power.

The Lazaert project was a natural and obvious choice. It embodies both the desire to promote the works of Liza and Andrii—whose importance in the contemporary history of ceramics I am convinced of—and the ambition to contribute to greater visibility of Ukrainian creation in the European artistic landscape.

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Since its creation, I have coordinated all of Lazaert's digital aspects: website development, social media management, presence on specialized platforms (Artmajeur, YourArt, Artalistic, etc.), prospecting for new partners and exhibition spaces. I remain at your disposal for any information concerning the works or the gallery.

Born in 1981 in Kyiv, Ielizaveta Portnova is a ceramic artist. With a background in artistic ceramics at the Kyiv University of Industrial Technology, she has been working in her studio since 2003. In 2022, she was forced to leave Ukraine and found refuge in France, where she has been practicing ever since.

In the creation of her works, Ielizaveta Portnova employs various modeling and firing techniques and does not hesitate to reuse her earlier works – as well as those of other artists – to create new ones. She shapes her works by hand, explores the textures that clay allows, plays with layers of oxides, engobes and glazes to bring them to life, and incorporates organic or inorganic materials.

Since her arrival in France, Ielizaveta Portnova has participated in residencies – such as in Vallauris – as well as numerous exhibitions: the Brussière Badil Ceramics Market in Dordogne, the Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, as well as an exhibition at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris.

Her work was awarded the Grand Prize at the Opishne International Ceramics Biennial (Ukraine) in 2019 and the Honorary Prize at the MediTERRAneo International Ceramics Exhibition (Italy) in 2022. Her works have been particularly successful in Europe and Asia: in 2019, she participated in the Blanc de Chine exhibition at the International Art Award in Beijing, as well as numerous exhibitions in South Korea, Italy, Spain, and Ukraine. She is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva.

Born in 1982 in Kyiv, Andrii Kyrychenko defines himself first and foremost as a potter. A telecommunications engineer by training, he quickly turned to ceramics, which he has been practicing since 2004 in his Kyiv studio. His creations have been exhibited since 2006 in Ukraine, then abroad, including in Spain, Switzerland, South Korea, and China. In 2022, he was forced to leave Kyiv and found refuge in France.

Andrii Kyrychenko tries not to interfere with the material, letting it develop on its own. The properties of clay are so unique in his eyes that, in his approach, isolating it would be destroying it. He sees clay as a co-author. He prefers to use chamotte mass, a ductile clay, for his textures. He completes the creative process with soda engobes and glazes. Almost all of his creations contain pottery elements, including his most figurative works.

He participates in numerous residencies and exhibitions, in Ukraine and abroad, such as at AIR Vallauris (2022), the Révélations exhibition at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris (2022), the international MediTERRAneo exhibition in Italy (2022) and the International Ceramics Biennale in South Korea (2019).

His work was awarded prizes in 2017 at the Blanc de Chine Porcelain Biennale in Beijing and in 2022 at the ACQUA exhibition at the Grottaglie Ceramics Museum (Italy). Since 2019, he has been a member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva.