Tanya Besedina’s Porcelain Innovations

Tanya Besedina is a Latvian- Ukrainian-Canadian sculptor based in Toronto who works primarily with translucent porcelain and has a growing reputation for her mixed media installations.

An open vintage suitcase displaying a decorative arrangement of layered fabric petals resembling a flower. In the center, a small, intricate container with a blue top is surrounded by soft, off-white petals. Behind, a circular design with an eye motif is painted on a blue background, accented with golden dots.

Above, from her Soulcases series, which combines sculptural porcelain art and vintage suitcases to explore identity, memory, and the spiritual journey of the soul. (Below, from the 2026 Artist Project, where it was a featured installation – more here)

A tall stack of various vintage suitcases, with some open and displaying decorative items, set against a gallery backdrop featuring artworks.

Besedina’s practice combines studio experimentation with ongoing research into Parian and historical translucent porcelain. Her work has been supported through the Ontario Arts Council, the York Region Arts Council, the Winterthur Museum (USA), and ongoing mentorship with Ferrin Contemporary.

Whisper of Petals, 2024, 25.40 × 30.48 × 25.40 cm
Translucent porcelain Laguna Frost cone 6 slow firing process 48 hours.

Originally trained as a fashion designer in Ukraine, she discovered her true medium in clay—a material she describes as both fragile and eternal. Drawing from her heritage and experience of migration, she transforms personal and collective memory into symbolic, organic forms – The Artist Project

An arrangement of ceramic art pieces displayed on a white wall, featuring various shapes including eggs and figurative forms, with intricate designs and patterns. — From the 2026 Artist Project gallery, here.

She is the recipient of the 2025 Craft Ontario Helen Copeland Memorial Award in Ceramics and winner of the Made with Laguna International Competition. Her work has been exhibited at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Dufferin Museum, The Cotton Factory, Baycrest, Nuit Blanche Toronto, and The Artist Project Toronto.

Two ceramic sculptures of abstract figures with textured, floral-like details on their heads, facing each other.

Each piece I create is entirely handmade — carrying fragments of my own life and the experiences of those I love: friends, family, ancestors, and the stories entrusted to me. When light passes through porcelain, it feels to me like memory becoming visible – artist statement