I’ve been following Yuliya Zharova for a while and have been continually impressed with her beautifully created polymer clay pendants and jewelry. If you’ll visit her Instagram (Wild Onion Art), you’ll see a carefully-crafted series of images, taking full advantage of the way that photos will line up to create a perfect catalog of her work. Her photos are all taken with the same dark background and all the pendants are strung on simple black cord.
Each pendant is simply executed in a square or rectangular shape and minimalist style. Yuliya uses a very limited color palette of black, silver, gold, and white to convey her message. Ocasionally, she’ll use a pop of bright color, such as red to show a heart or a flower. The figures pictured in the pendants are simplified and stylized but still manage to convey tender emotions as well as whimsy or playfulness.
Recently, Yuliya has released three tutorials that show how to create specific pendant designs, including the “Angel over a Night Town” that you see above. You can find these tutorials on the Wild Onion Art Etsy shop.
I love that...
Yuliya’s body of work has a very cohesive look. You can instantly recognize her work. I also love the way she takes away complicated decisions by sticking with a simplified color palette, basic shapes, uniform photography, and simple hanging cord. This frees the artist’s creativity to focus on making a unique and impactful design.
7 thoughts on “Yuliya Zharova – Wild Onion Art”
A while back, I discovered Yuliya’s gorgeous work on Pinterest. Her tasteful, minimalist style inspired me to move away from excessive detail and too many colors in my own creations. I’m a hobbiest, not an artist, so my family and friends are my jury. They agree that my most recent work is easier to look at. Less is indeed more.
I love these pendants. They are metal clay, aren’t they?
No, they’re polymer clay. There’s no metal involved, as far as I know.
Absolutely mesmerizing, I get lost in your art work. Thank You
Yuliya Zharova’s creations are a joy to behold! I enjoy the minimalist style; it speaks to me of quiet beauty, calmness, serenity.
So much said with so little! Each piece a story told to ourselves. Beautiful and inspiring.
This is a good example of how less is more.