Polina Osipova| Cothinkers Annual Prize 2021
27 - 30 October 2021 12pm - 6pm
Enter the mystical, intricately-crafted world of Polina Osipova: one of Russia’s most exciting Gen Z artists. Fusing traditional folklore with a wide-ranging realm of digital possibilities, Polina is the winner of the Сothinkers Annual Prize 2021. Initiated by cothinkers, a creative enterprise exploring new forms of storytelling in contemporary culture, the annual prize is dedicated to championing emerging talent, culminating with an artistic showcase in the heart of London. Key criteria for winners include representing communities or areas overlooked on the global stage, and inventing new kinds of creative storytelling through a digital lens, with a particular focus on female and non-binary artists.
Based in St Petersburg, Polina Osipova belongs to the Chuvash people, an indigenous Russian ethnic group with roots to the west of the country’s Volga river. The self-taught artist inherited her interest in embroidery from her Chuvash family — applying their traditional knowledge to sculptural pieces, hand-crafted millinery, jewellery, textiles, and clothing.
The showcase is an immersive journey into digital mythology, and how it can expand our boundaries within storytelling. The exhibition is built around recurring symbols in the artist’s work: eyes, tears, hands, silver coins and the image of the wolf, a supernatural creature which is simultaneously animal and human. All of these motifs create a story which allows the viewer to muse on the power of nature and our place within it, while reviving and reimagining forgotten histories and connecting with ancestral female power. The wolf and the image of a Chuvash warrior woman endlessly appear in Polina’s work, often transforming into one another. In the same way, the past and present, digital and analogue constantly coexist, connected through the artist’s creativity.
For Polina, crafting objects has always been far more than just a passion: it is a way of interacting with history, memory and the world around her. Chuvash embroidery is traditionally passed down by women through the generations, creating an artform that allows Polina’s to reimagine both ancestral stories and her own childhood memories. Working across different media, the artist searches out new interpretations of beauty and identity, exploring the landscapes and symbols that are meaningful for her community. At the same time, digital technologies and social media have allowed Polina to find a global audience outside of Russia. The artist’s striking and witty creations have repeatedly gone viral, with her pearl headpieces and silver coin headdresses endlessly shared and referenced online.
They have even gone on to find new life as digital artworks.
About Cothinkers
The Сothinkers Annual Prize showcase is designed specifically for the two-level space of Hoxton gallery, creating an immersive journey into Polina’s creative world. It explores Polina’s identity as a Gen Z artist working with a broad range of media: embroidery, set design, photography, sculpture and self-portrait. By acting in hybrid, her digital and hand-crafted art forges its own narrative, allowing the artist to reflect on her place in a shifting world. The exhibition explores how these new artforms together allow Polina to delve deep into her own history, transgressing the boundaries of past and present through her creative work.
Polina Osipova is the winner of the inaugural Сothinkers Annual Prize. Each year, the award will see an emerging artist given an opportunity to stage an exhibition fully supported by the company. Founded in London in 2020, cothinkers aims to explore the possibilities of contemporary storytelling and provide a global platform for emerging artistic talent. As a strategic consultancy, cothinkers create social and cultural value by providing guidance to brands in supporting creativity in a meaningful and purposeful way.
Hoxton Gallery
17 Marlow Workshops, Arnold Circus, E2 7JN
Nearest Tube: Shoreditch High Street Overground Station or Hoxton Overground Station Open daily 12pm – 6pm
www.hoxtongallery.co.uk | @hoxtongallery
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