Creative profile · education and work
Slava Romanenko: Art, Learning and Creative Development
Slava Romanenko studies art and ceramics in Kyiv. He works with natural clay, sculpting plasticine, pencils and paint, with a particular interest in three-dimensional form, character and surface texture.
This page brings together information about Slava’s education, the materials he enjoys working with and a selection of his works. It will be expanded gradually as new work and clear visual documentation become available.
ON THIS PAGE About Slava Education Shevchenko Bust Selected Works Other Directions
About Slava
Slava Today
Slava’s art education currently combines two long-term settings: Kyiv Children’s Art School No. 7 and the Ceramics and Pottery studio at the Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth.
At art school, he works with drawing, pencils and paint, collage, three-dimensional forms made from card, sculpting plasticine and other classroom techniques. Three-dimensional work is currently the area in which he feels most confident, while drawing remains an important part of his continuing development.
In the ceramics studio, Slava works with natural clay. He particularly enjoys modelling animals, inventing characters and finding textures that help express their personality. He also draws at home and has begun experimenting with new materials.
Assignments and guidance from his teachers are central to this process: they introduce techniques, help him understand proportion and show him how to identify and correct problems. Within an assigned subject, Slava develops his own image, works through the details and makes individual formal and structural decisions.
At a glance
Current Stage
Art school
As of 2026, three full years at Kyiv Children’s Art School No. 7.
Ceramics
As of 2026, five years in the Ceramics and Pottery studio.
Materials
Natural clay, sculpting plasticine, pencils, paint and other classroom materials.
Interests
Three-dimensional form, animals, characters, portrait features and surface texture.
Music
Accordion studies, solo playing and a duet with his older brother Gleb.
What he enjoys about modelling
Slava says that natural clay feels comfortable to work with and that modelling helps him release tension. He most enjoys creating animals, inventing characters and finding a surface texture that suits each one.
Slava Romanenko on working with natural clay
Sculpting plasticine · 2025–2026
Bust of Taras Shevchenko
One of Slava’s most demanding school projects was a bust of Taras Shevchenko modelled in sculpting plasticine. He began the work in late 2025, continued over several months and completed it in early 2026.
The central challenge was to achieve a recognisable likeness. Slava worked gradually on the shape of the head, the profile, the gaze, hair, moustache and clothing. Hanna Sokolova’s guidance on facial construction and portrait likeness formed an important part of the process.
The composition extends beyond the portrait itself. An open book lies in front of Shevchenko, a quill is held in his hand, and the pages, clothing and decorative elements contain many small details. Slava particularly values the density of detail and the complexity of the whole composition.
The project gave him sustained experience in portrait modelling, building a multi-part composition and developing the surface with care.
| Title | Bust of Taras Shevchenko |
| Period | Late 2025 — early 2026 |
| Material | Sculpting plasticine |
| Work type | Classroom portrait composition |
| Study context | Kyiv Children’s Art School No. 7, class of Hanna Sokolova |
Creative interests
Ideas That Recur in Slava’s Work
Slava’s works have been made in different techniques and learning contexts. Even so, several interests already recur across his ceramics, modelling and drawing.
01
Characters in Three Dimensions
Slava is interested not only in describing a form, but in turning an animal or person into a character with a particular pose, action and presence.
02
Surface Texture
In ceramic work, he pays close attention to the surface: the turtle’s legs, the rooster’s feathers, clothing and other tactile details.
03
Meaningful Detail
The book and quill in the Shevchenko bust, the accordion held by the rooster and the house on the turtle’s shell all contribute directly to the idea of the work.
04
Persistence
Slava usually tries to complete what he begins. This was especially visible in the sustained work required by the complex portrait composition of Taras Shevchenko.
Slava’s Studio Archive
Selected Ceramic Works by Slava Romanenko
Turtle and Accordion-Playing Rooster show two different approaches to natural clay: developing an unusual construction and creating a vivid character connected with music and folk imagery.
Clay · 2026
Turtle
In Turtle, Slava worked with the overall form of the body, a hollow shell and a small house built on top. He developed the texture of the legs himself and, following a suggestion from his ceramics instructor, opened up the structure of the house to make it feel lighter.
View the work
Fired clay, glaze · 2025
Accordion-Playing Rooster
The work was created for an exhibition series inspired by the Ukrainian children’s song Two Roosters (Dva pivnyky). The accordion emerged while Slava was developing the image: it reinforced the folk character of the composition and connected it with the family’s experience of music.
View the workBeyond the main medium
Drawing, Music and New Materials
Modelling remains Slava’s strongest area, but his education is not limited to three-dimensional work. Drawing, music and new materials broaden his experience and provide additional sources for future ideas.
Drawing
Paris — City of Dreams
Among his favourite drawings, Slava names Paris — City of Dreams. He is particularly drawn to its density of detail. Hanna Sokolova sent the drawing to France for submission to a competition.
Music school
Accordion and a Family Duet
Slava studies the piano accordion, while his older brother Gleb plays the bayan, a type of chromatic button accordion. They perform separately and as a duet. Music remains a distinct part of their education, but it occasionally finds an echo in Slava’s ceramic characters.
New experiments
Polymer Clay and Willow Weaving
At home, Slava has begun experimenting with polymer clay. After attending a willow-weaving workshop, he also became interested in the craft and would like to continue learning it in a dedicated class.
Explore Works by Slava Romanenko
Slava’s Studio Archive brings together ceramic works, drawings and visual materials documenting the current stage of his learning and creative practice.