For some two decades, Serhii Makhno and his Kyiv-based studio have been amalgamating the hand-crafting traditions of his native Ukraine, the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, and the optimistic heft of retro-futurist aesthetics to practices of architecture, art, and, especially ceramics. His abiding friendship with Melanie Courbet has led to “Zemlya,” an inaugural exhibition of his work at her Les Ateliers Courbet gallery in Chelsea, chockablock with his distinctive, large-scale ceramic furniture.

Makhno spoke with Surface about what making work in Ukraine is like right now—and the work of making ceramics.

How are things in Kyiv? What’s the status of your studio?

The situation in Ukraine is somewhat better than this past autumn, winter, and spring. It’s tense, with sirens sounding, but we understand that we need to keep working. Our studio has hardly stopped, despite the blackout periods. We’ve prepared all the necessary conditions and are maintaining all safety standards.

When did you meet Melanie Courbet, and what are your conversations with her like?

Melanie and I started our conversation five or six years ago. She saw my early creations on social media and reached out. We were discussing our common sources of inspiration, in particular the Japanese sense of aesthetics and their craftsmanship ethos. We were planning an exhibition in 2020, but Covid-19 happened and the war in our country got in the way. We lost touch, mourning and dealing with our separate issues until we ran into each other in Paris. We then went on two years of collaboration and creative dialogues as we completed this first series. These ceramic sculptures took shape through our conversations.

As the show is of new ceramic works, when did you first start working in this material?

I started working with ceramics in the ‘90s, when I was learning the basics of the art form, but our ceramic production facility officially opened six years ago. From that point, we began actively creating ceramic products and expanding the range of our work. The inspiration behind creating furniture with ceramic, an unconventional material for such objects, was to blend art into everyday life. We see furniture not just as utilitarian, but as works of art. Each chair can serve not only as a seating piece but also as sculptural art that you can use.

Is there something particularly challenging about working with ceramic at such a large scale? Have you learned something about how ceramic behaves?

It presents unique challenges and opportunities but requires a high level of craftsmanship and a deep understanding of the ceramic production process. First, ensuring proper drying is crucial to avoid cracks and damage during firing. The first firing at a lower temperature establishes the foundational structure. The second firing, incorporating glazing, adds distinctive beauty and color to the ceramic pieces. It’s vital to control temperature and time inside the kiln to guarantee quality and durability. Engaging in ceramics for six years has provided us with the experience and expertise necessary to produce these high-quality works.

Have you faced challenges getting your work to the gallery, perhaps because of the material’s delicacy but also the situation in Ukraine?

Working with ceramics presents its own unique set of difficulties, and issues like cracking can be a formidable task. Glazing and firing ceramics is a true art that demands a great deal of attention to detail. Cracking can be linked to insufficient drying before firing, improper glazing techniques, or excessive thermal stress during firing. It’s important to study and experiment to find the optimal conditions for your specific pieces. While these challenges can be daunting at first, they also offer valuable learning experiences and opportunities for improving your skills.

“Zemlya” will be on view at Les Ateliers Courbet starting November 8.

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Launched in a downtown Manhattan loft in 1985 by B. George and David Wheeler, the ARChive of Contemporary Music nonprofit music library and research center is perhaps the largest of its kind in the world, with more than three million recordings and millions more bits of ephemera in its holdings. It was likely the first institution to build a hip-hop collection, and holds major collections of blues, Haitian, punk and new wave, Cuban, and French records, along with Nile Rogers and Jellybean Benitez’s archive of dance music 12”s.

The ARChive had to leave its longtime Tribeca home three years ago; its priceless holdings have sat in André Balazs’s Hudson Valley storage since then. In order to ensure these crucial documents of audio culture don’t disappear, the nonprofit recently announced its transition into The Center for Popular Music, a public institution with a capital campaign to fund a new, permanent home. Head to their website for more information and to join the work to ensure physical media will remain accessible in the age of streaming.

As single malts go, Speyside Scotch whiskies are exceptional for their aroma of fruit, spice, and mild oakiness. Among those, The Glen Grant’s newly released 70-Year-Old Devotion single malt presides over a class all its own as a testament to the 182-year-old distiller’s deep-rooted mastery of craft and quality. Inspired by the seven-decade reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the distillery embarked on a collaboration between master distiller Dennis Malcolm, craftsman and designer John Galvin, and Glasstorm master craftsman Brodie Nairn to create an ensemble worthy of paying homage to the queen.

The result is The Glen Grant’s new collection of objets d’art, each featuring a bespoke crystal decanter filled with the distiller’s 70-Year-Old Devotion. The first decanter of seven is a sculptural gem-shaped crystal suspended within a precious silver capper and plinth.

Our weekly scoop on industry players moving onwards and upwards.

Change is afoot at VOLTA, the art fair focused on platforming younger and middle-market galleries, which recently named curator Lee Cavaliere as its new artistic director. In addition to strengthening existing gallery relationships, he aims to introduce a fellowship program encouraging new galleries to curate presentations that boldly present the perspectives of their artists to the emerging market. In one of his first moves, he named a group of international Board Members to enhance the 2024 edition of VOLTA Basel, which is returning to the city’s Klybeck district. The advisory board aims to support the fair’s influence locally, regionally, and internationally, with a major focus on the Middle East, North Africa, and European regions.

On the heels of a captivating showcase at Art Toronto in October, Kent Monkman is dropping two books with artist and writer Giséle Gordon. The two-volume Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle recounts the tale of a recurring subject in the Cree artist’s depictions of Indigenous culture and cosmology: the titular character is a queer, shape-shifting, time-traveling being who encounters triumphs and tragedies as she attempts a peaceful coexistence with Canadian settlers. In pictures and words, Monkman and Gordon chart the beginnings of an Indigenous future informed by Miss Chief Eagle Testickle’s transcendence through the past.

When: Until Dec. 22

Where: Jack Shainman, New York

What: The Wellesley-based artist—a Whitney Independent Study Program alumnus and faculty member at the Yale School of Art—brings recent additions to his Spaces of Subjection series to New York. His background as an educator shines through as he questions the relationship between an artwork’s subject, their identity, and ultimately, the viewer’s power to see that subject’s dignity. By applying a breadth of references to luminaries including Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Michel Foucault, Mokgosi explores how artistic depiction and cultural ephemera can be used to restore and affirm humanity.

Last week, the Art Dealers Association of America hosted The Art Show Benefit Preview in support of Henry Street Settlement. The long-running art fair returned to the Park Avenue Armory, where visitors enjoyed an exclusive look at this year’s booths from 78 ADAA member galleries before the fair’s public opening. Drawing an esteemed crowd of more than 2,000 artists, collectors, curators, business leaders, and philanthropists, the Art Show raised $1 million for Henry Street Settlement.

When was it? Nov. 1

Where was it? Park Avenue Armory, New York

Who was there? Massimilano Gioni, Vittorio Calabrese, Tom Hanks, Fran Lebowitz, Steven Spielberg, Ben Ganz, Julianne Moore, Ann Temkin, Hank Willis Thomas, Nicola Vassell, Shaun Leonardo, Laura Dern, Pamela Joyner.

Omi Woods jewelry are contemporary heirlooms celebrating our connections to Africa and her diaspora. The brand’s jewelry is individually and ethically handmade with fair trade African gold and globally sourced, recycled, and conflict-free fine metals. Omi Woods jewelry is intended to be collected, worn every day, gifted for special occasions, and passed down to future generations so its meaning can live on for years to come.

Surface Says: With handicraft and conflict-free gems and precious metals, the conscious consumer will be dazzled by these wares and their ethical principles.

A forgotten vault where Michelangelo once sketched finally opens to the public.

China’s wealthiest person made billions by extracting and bottling pristine water.

The NBA unveils City Edition jerseys to match the league’s painted courts.

Joshua Frankel’s public art at Moynihan Train Hall just blends in with other ads.