The words “Kuznetsov porcelain” will be familiar to almost everyone, and it can be argued that Latvian porcelain is predominantly associated with the name of Kuznetsov.
Yet few will know that during the 19th century there were 13 factories bearing the name of Kuznetsov in Russia, one of which was in Riga. Being the first porcelain manufactory established in the territory of Latvia, it was active from 1841 until World War II, and held and continues to hold an important place in the history of Kuznetsov porcelain as the only one to carry the Kuznetsov name in the interwar period when all other factories of the Kuznetsov family in Soviet Russia had already been nationalised. This period coincided with considerable global changes, which were also reflected in art through the formation of entirely new, distinct artistic styles. Naturally, these can also be observed in the Kuznetsovs’ porcelain production from this period, in combination with unique local characteristics designed by Latvian artists.
The exhibition is a continuation of Zuzeum’s Kuznetsov Project, whose main aim is to celebrate the beginnings of porcelain manufacturing in Latvia and also trace its succession, hence the central place in the exhibition is given to the factory in Latvia, which also constitutes the broadest part of the collection. To better understand the origins of the Kuznetsovs’ porcelain manufacturing, the exhibition is accompanied by a structured presentation of examples of production from almost all Kuznetsov factories, making it possible to grasp the place and significance of the Riga factory in the Kuznetsov porcelain empire and discover cross-influences among the different cultures.
The architect of the exhibition, Toms Kampars, has built the presentation as a process of discovery of porcelain manufacturing, using its elements in the exhibition’s design to bring every visitor closer to the mysteries of porcelain production.
Zuzeum’s Kuznetsov Project includes the already concluded first exhibition of objects from the Zuzāns Collection in Tukums Museum’s Durbe Manor (31.01.2020-10.04.2022) and the recently published book Kuzņecova porcelāns. Zuzānu kolekcija [Kuznetsov Porcelain. Zuzāns Collection], which presents the story along similar lines. Each new iteration opens broader possibilities for the development of the theme.
The exhibition Celebrate Porcelain with Kuznetsov in the spacious exhibition hall of the Zuzeum Art Centre is a chance to bring the splendour of Kuznetsov porcelain emphatically to life, giving each visitor the opportunity to grasp the abundant diversity of the production and assess its place in the context of its time from different perspectives – historical as well as stylistic.
Through its accompanying lectures and creative workshops, the exhibition will be an opportunity to get to know the process of porcelain manufacturing through the Kuznetsovs’ broad and eclectic production, which also contains the seeds for the subsequent development of the porcelain industry in Lat
