Archaeology of Ornament

Ornament as the trace of a system that has survived partial destruction

This series approaches ornament as the trace of an architectural and decorative system. The pattern no longer survives intact: fragments sit alongside chips, voids and areas covered by later layers. The structure gradually loses its original coherence, but does not disappear; it can still be read through the connections between surviving elements. Ornament becomes material evidence of what remains and what has been lost.

Edge of Decay

2026, 40×40 cm
Mixed media technique: stencil relief, multi-layered patination
Materials: textured plaster, travertine, gypsum, acrylics, waxes, patina

A dense ornamental knot anchors the centre of the composition. Around it, the strict geometry of the squares gradually breaks down: the grid cracks, tile edges chip away and sections of the pattern disappear. The surviving centre holds the composition together, while the perimeter reveals an ordered structure breaking into fragments. Side lighting brings out the rhythm of the relief, cracks and remaining islands of ornament.

Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art

Archive of the Surface

2026, 40×40 cm
Mixed media technique: stencil relief, multi-layered patination
Materials: textured plaster, travertine, gypsum, acrylics, waxes, patina

A dense ornamental core survives at the centre; farther from it, the pattern weakens and gives way to a damaged outer field. The work resembles an architectural fragment whose original structure can still be read, but can no longer be reconstructed in full. Its focus is the transition from a preserved pattern to a surface where only traces of it remain.

Memory of Material

2026, 40×40 cm
Mixed media technique: stencil relief, multi-layered patination
Materials: textured plaster, travertine, gypsum, acrylics, waxes, patina

The central core anchors the composition, while the geometric tiles along the edges introduce an additional rhythm. The ornament emerges from within the material, but the relief varies in density: in some areas it rises almost sculpturally; in others it thins out and recedes into the surface. The work unfolds through these shifts, from clearly defined form to a barely visible trace.

Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art
Archaeology of Ornament. Olga Anikeeva| Designing Art

Works in Space

For collaboration — Email | Telegram

RU
EN