Bogatyr Tea Pot. Who Stole Our Heroes?

 Lena Wolek’s exhibition, Bogatyr Tea Pot: Who Stole Our Heroes is part of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Exhibitions and Conference held here in Cincinnati in March. Lena’s grandmother had a special teapot that Lena cherished as a child. Her grandmother was a designer at the Perevolov Porcelain factory in Siberia that was known worldwide for the products it made. The beloved teapot Lena cherished was from a limited edition made in the factory to be given as gifts or trophies for dignitaries, special guests and honored employees. The teapots were called Bogatyr (“hero” in English) from a mythological story about giant heroes wielding heavy swords to save the oppressed and enslaved while they defeated the dark powers.Many generations of citizens were raised with the tales and art honoring and loving the heroes and admiring their powers. For Lena, the teapot was by far the most beautiful and important object in the house-a centerpiece to celebrate.Lena now creates her own Bogatyr teapots with musings of current American culture. They illustrate her own tongue-in-cheek commentary on what a hero is.