The table porcelain sculpture “At the bus stop. Workday morning” addresses a simple everyday motif — a group of seven people wait for a bus. There are children as well as adults — all of them hide under umbrellas.
The sculpture was designed by the chief artist of the Bronnitsky factory Tamara Gavrilova. She was born in 1924 in the village of Volkhovstroy in the territory of the modern Leningrad Oblast. Gavrilova spent her youth in Leningrad, where she lived during the siege. She was later awarded the sign “Resident of the Besieged Leningrad” to commemorate this experience.
In 1954, Tamara Gavrilova graduated from the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named after Vera Mukhina, received a degree in decorative sculpture and came to Novgorod. Initially, she worked in a design organization and then began working at conservation workshops as a sculptor-restorer. Since the late 1950s, Gavrilova ran a workshop of young sculptors at the Young Pioneer Palace.
At the same time, Tamara Gavrilova began to exhibit her works at regional and republican art exhibitions, and became a member of the Artists” Union of the USSR.
In 1967, Gavrilova took a job at the porcelain factory “Vozrozhdenie”, which had just opened in the village of Bronnitsy. There, the sculptor designed the shape of tableware and created pattern designs. For example, she started the production of several new products: small table sculptures, Novgorod “blue tableware” coated with cobalt and decorated with gold patterns, as well as Novgorod souvenirs, such as miniature porcelain copies of city attractions.
Tamara Gavrilova worked in different sculpture techniques. However, she especially loved to design porcelain items. Gavrilova used both everyday themes and folklore motifs. Among her works of those years, there were sculptures depicting the characters from Russian fairy tales, such as “Sadko” and “King of the Sea”.
Gavrilova’s original works were exhibited at international exhibitions. They were popular among museums, art funds, as well as among the residents of Novgorod and tourists. The chief artist of the factory Tamara Gavrilova received the “Badge of Honor” and the “Veteran of Labor” medals.
