The story of
Magical Forest began long before it became a ceramic mural. Its first form was a sketch created for an acrylic wall painting in my apartment in Samara, inspired by childhood memories of
Samarskaya Luka National Park — its ancient forests, rivers, limestone cliffs, hidden trails, legends, and family stories.
These images were never meant to depict one real place. They became a landscape of many forests from parallel worlds, where memory, nature, mythology, and imagination merge into a single living ecosystem.
Years later, my team and I transformed the drawings into ceramic fragments in my studio. In November 2025, these pieces were first exhibited at
G-Gallery in Samara as mysterious “artifacts” gathered from an enchanted forest, before traveling to the exhibition
“Own Format”, organized by the
Union of Designers of Russia, where I am a member.
With time, a clear feeling emerged that Magical Forest belonged in a public space. This place was found at
Sanatorium Forest School No. 9 in Samara — a special boarding school for children with bronchopulmonary health conditions, where education, medical care, and support are united into one environment.
After meeting the school director
Tatiana Yuryevna Safiullina, the teachers, specialists, and children, I understood that this was the home for Magical Forest. I wanted to create not only an artwork, but a space that awakens curiosity, imagination, playfulness, and a sense of possibility — what I call
therapy of states.
In June 2026, I spent three weeks at the school completing the final stage of the project: assembling the ceramic relief, finishing the background, and integrating light elements. The mural was created through hand-shaped ceramic forms, relief techniques, and illumination, exploring the connection between the visible and invisible, material and imagination.
On
June 30, 2026, Magical Forest officially became part of Forest School No. 9 during the graduation ceremony of ninth-grade students. It was my gift to the school, its children, teachers, and everyone who creates this special environment every day.
The official presentation was made by my representative in Samara —
Kristina Lantsova, Art Director of the international
G-Gallery. I am deeply grateful to Kristina for her dedication, care, and support throughout this project.
The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including
Oksana Yuryevna Kovnir, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences;
Vyacheslav Murtazin, Deputy and Assistant to a State Duma Deputy; and
Irina Cherepanova, Deputy Head of Samara’s Promyshlenny District Administration.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to
Tatiana Yuryevna Safiullina and the entire team of teachers, doctors, specialists, and staff of Forest School No. 9 for their trust and for the warmth and care they bring to children every day.
Media CoverageThe Magical Forest mural received attention from regional cultural and media platforms:
- ArtVesti.ru >> — feature article about the creation and presentation of the Magical Forest mural.
- Samarskoye Obozreniye (Самарское Обозрение) >> — newspaper feature covering the mural’s unveiling ceremony at Forest School No. 9 and its significance for the school community.
- TV Channel 450 (formerly Guberniya) — participation in the program “Takoe Utro” (“Such a Morning”) >> with Kristina Lantsova, Art Director of the international G-Gallery, discussing the story of the mural, my artistic journey, and the worlds created through my projects.
These publications and broadcasts became part of the continuing story of Magical Forest — a project that began as a personal memory and transformed into a shared cultural experience for children, educators, and the wider community.