Detail of “The Tulips” (2021), made in collaboration with Jay Rose. All images © Elena Zaycman, shared with permission
From her studio in St. Petersburg, artist Elena Zaycman creates delicate flowers and tropical plants from vibrant stained glass. She strays from the traditional two-dimensional panels to produce lifelike forms that resemble fleshy petals and curved leaves found in nature. Whether a pair of tulips or fanned palm, Zaycman’s translucent designs refract light and cast tinted shadows in an array of organic shapes around the space.
Having worked with the medium for nearly a decade, the artist tells Colossal that prior to creating the smaller sculptures she collaborated with her sister on expansive projects that required a lengthy, complex installation in homes and other spaces. She began to produce the mounted pieces as a way to circumvent that process and make the art form more accessible to those without the resources for large, permanent works. Today, her sculptures often reflect vegetation and natural life spotted during travel—an encounter with a stray puppy on a trip to Bali informed many of the pieces shown here—or evoke playful, geometric characters, like in her Monstrics collection.
Zaycman was recently featured in the second edition of We Are Makers, and she sells downloadable patterns for a variety of moths and insects on Etsy. Follow her on Instagram for glimpses into her process and updates on available works.
“Banana Leaf” (2019). Photo by Natasha Lozinskaya
Detail of “Two Windows for Flowers” (2020)
“The Foxglove” (2021), made in collaboration with Jay Rose
“Flower” (2019). Photo by Natasha Lozinskaya
“Elkhorn Fern” (2019). Photo by Natasha Lozinskaya
“Licuala Palm” (2019). Photo by Natasha Lozinskaya
Detail of “The Foxglove” (2021), made in collaboration with Jay Rose
“Two Windows for Flowers” (2020)