Irina Koukhanova: Sun Keeper

In Sun Keeper, Koukhanova combines Ukrainian folk symbolism into a single ceramic sculpture. A ram-like body supports a suspended sun while a rooster stands watch above. The sculpture draws on traditions in which animals function as carriers of seasonal knowledge, renewal, and protection. Here, the contemporary sculpture becomes a vessel for preservation. The sun is held at its center as something entrusted to future generations. Created in the context of war and displacement, Sun Keeper reflects the enduring work of carrying cultural memory forward when the conditions that once sustained it have been disrupted.