Greater Goods: SIND Studio
In this series, explore the artists and artisan-made products that set the Jewish Museum Shop apart.
A Jewish symbol of fertility, love, and abundance, pomegranates are celebrated for their beauty as well as their ritual significance. One of the seven species of Israel — a group of grains and fruits that were dietary staples in ancient times — pomegranates were offered at the Temple in Jerusalem on Shavuot; and, as a “new fruit,” are eaten on Rosh Hashanah.
Available at the Jewish Museum Shop, SIND Studio’s One-of-a-Kind Hand-Painted Pomegranates offer a playful, contemporary take on the biblical fruit. Designed and created by Dima and Nadya Gurevich, founders of the high-end porcelain and ceramic design studio, each piece is handmade in porcelain, hand painted, and then finished with real gold accents.
“Pomegranate sculptures are very popular in Israel and Jewish tradition overall,” explain the Gureviches. “We wanted to make something new and creative from this classical object. We took a cast from real a pomegranate fruit. And we started painting them with abstract expressive patterns, getting unique designs every time. It became one of our favorite experimenting objects.”
At their studio in Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv, the Gureviches create conceptual, yet functional, works of art inspired by everyday objects. They are a husband and wife team; Dima and Nadya met 15 years ago after arriving in Israel from Russia and Latvia, respectively. Although they were in the army at the time, they each went on to earn degrees in the applied arts; Dima in Ceramic Art and Design, and Nadya in Industrial Design. Through working together on student projects, they discovered their similar art and design vision. “We found out that we felt very comfortable working together. That brought us to the idea that we could probably work together after we graduate.” It was during this time that they also discovered their love of ceramics. “We made several student projects with ceramics and fell in love with this almost magical material, which has endless capabilities and properties,” they recall. The couple founded SIND Studio (short for Sculpture in Design) before graduation.
Creating a new SIND Studio design is a multi-step process. First, the Gureviches sculpt a model. Then, they create a mold from the model, which is filled with a liquid ceramic material, before glazing and several firings. Porcelain is their favorite form of ceramic. “We use it for most of our products. Compared to conventional ceramic materials, it’s more challenging to work with, but it allows us to make thinner, lighter, and more sophisticated objects.”
The Gureviches cite many inspirations for their work — travel, art exhibitions, movies, poetry, however ceramics serve as their primary source of inspiration:
“Every time we open a kiln, there’s a surprise, and no object comes out the same twice. We love experimenting by combining different glazes, pigments, and getting unexpected effects.”
Each pomegranate sculpture has its own distinctive character, making each a unique gift or home accessory. SIND Studio’s Blue Watercolor Porcelain Seder Plate, also available at the Shop, is another design with two pieces exactly alike — for delightful variations that are both beautiful and inspiring.
To explore more of the Jewish Museum Shop’s selection, create a gift registry, or send a gift e-card, visit Shop.TheJewishMuseum.org. Every purchase supports the Jewish Museum.
