National Art
The formation of the Ceramic Collection at the National Museum of Art of Moldova began in the 1950s, when the museum acquired works by Pavel Bespoiasnîi and Tatiana Canaș, as well as pieces by several older-generation ceramists: Valentina Poleakova, Valentina Neceaeva, Serghei Ciokolov, and Ioachim Postolachi. In 1948, the Section of Decorative Artists was founded within the Union of Plastic Artists of Moldova. From the second half of the 20th century, professional decorative art became a significant phenomenon in the artistic culture of the republic.
Notable for the evolutionary picture of ceramics from the early to mid-1960s are the works by Ester Grecu. Along with creating utilitarian ceramic pieces, the artist also explored decorative art, often covering the surfaces of vessels with structural elements. In addition to the classical forms of traditional ceramics, in the 1970s-80s, those with less evident construction accuracy became more frequent, often imitating the logic of natural forms. Artists frequently opted to recreate organisms, flowers, and marine animals, as seen in Tamara Grecu-Peiceva’s 1980 composition "Gifts of the Sea."
During this period, ceramics transcended its narrow utilitarian purpose and gained both plastic and semantic independence. Brunhilda Epelbaum-Marcenko, Nelli Sajina, Luisa Lanțen, and Svetlana Pasecinaia were pioneers of pictorial-sculptural trends in contemporary Moldovan ceramics. Substantial decoration became one of the main features of ceramics in the last few decades. The figurative language of Vlad Bolboceanu emotionally influences the viewer through the plasticity of form and the harmony of color, generating specific associations.
The development of modern decorative art is closely linked to the beautification of administrative and cultural buildings. This phenomenon brought widespread popularity to tapestry, with its thematic diversity and compositional plasticity, offering many artists a vast creative space.
Elena Rotaru, Maria Saca-Racilă, Silvia Vrînceanu, and Carmela Golovinova are just a few of the artists who carried the reputation of Moldovan carpets beyond the borders of our republic. Thanks to their talent, authentic decorative spirit, and innate sense of color, the term "Moldovan tapestry school" became well-established in international specialist press.
