This time we will be flying to Russia to meet very talented lace artist Irina Ursinova.

When I saw Irina's lace, I was drawn to follow her work. I love how she is able to describe the atmosphere of the city. Looking at her lace, you are consumed by the feeling of Russian life. Her work reminds me of the work of famous Russian writers Pushkin, Anton Checkov, and Dostoyevsky. Irina is able to describe daily life in the very same way as those authors did with words.

Her work is very different from the work of other Russian lacemakers. But let we should let Irina tell us her story.

I was born, raised, and lived all my life in Moscow. 

I was born, raised, and lived all my life in Moscow. 

The first time I saw lace, I went to see a lace exhibition. I was 12 at that time, but I was astonished. I was absolutely taken by lace, and I promised myself to learn bobbin lace. 

I was holding on to this dream, but it took me a long 25 years to bring my inner calling to reality. I attended a 2 years course on traditional bobbin lace technique in Moscow. I was happy, the bobbins in my hands became alive, and their clicking sound was so calming. But very soon, I realized that traditional lace is not something that is filling my soul. I wanted to do something different, something more creative, something that would be more me. 

I decided to take a different path, and I started to learn how to draw and paint. It took me some time before I realized that everything that I love, I love to draw: pears, dragonflies, cities, I can turn into lace.

In lace, I most appreciate the airiness that I lack in my lace

 I have never considered lace to be unique, special. For me, lace is an artistic medium that allows me to express myself. For me, it is the same as using a brush for painting or a pencil for drawing.

Do you teach lace? 

 Yes, I did teach lace making for beginners. But only for a very short time. I do not like teaching online classes.

What lace means for you, where do you find your inspiration?

I create what is close to my heart, I feel free when I create, and I think it is the biggest gift an artist can have. I admire Pierre Fouche, Bista Pisancheva. Their work is so inspirational.

What is hard? Oh well, sometimes I draw a picture, design for a lace piece, and then I realize that in lace, it can not be done like it is in the drawing. Each technique needs its own process. 

But actually, the technique is always the same: twist and cross and variation of those two movements. 

What would be your advice to people who want to learn the bobbin lace technique?

 For me, it is difficult to give advice. Probably the main thing is to fall in love with what you are doing: it does not matter whether it is lace or drawing, or painting. And of course, important is the knowledge of the laws of composition.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

Several of my patterns have been published in magazines. My dream is that my lace will be included in the book.

Do you sell your work through social media?

No, I do not. I am not very experienced with social media.

Irina's interest is not only in architectural compositions, but also she incorporates her lace in fashion and decorative motifs.

Here you can see a resemblance of traditional Russian folk art, at least in the way Irina is working with the colors.  

If you like Irina's story and would like to send her a comment , or have any questions, you can contact Irina through her email ustathome2008@yandex.ru

Generated audio version of this interview. 

Interview and article by Daniela Banatova 

I was born in the Czech Republic, and 18 years ago I moved to the United States and settled in Florida. I studied textile art design at school in Brno, Czech Republic, then earned a Master’s Degree in Art History at Masaryk University in Brno. During my studies at textile art school, I was introduced to the bobbin lace technique, which I found fascinating, I quickly fell in love bobbin lace technique, and have pursued this art form ever since. authors@bobbinlace.org