“3D Printing Realized My Art Idea at One Hundred Per Cent,” Success Story of Kristina Ryumina
An artist, 3D sculptor, and jewelry designer Kristina Ryumina will present her work at 3D Print Expo. Author of 3D printed sculpture told us how she learned about additive technologies for the first time and what else she is planning to create with their help.
“I soon felt that I needed to move beyond the photography”
My creative career started with photography. In 2015, I bought my first reflex camera and started doing digital works based on photos. In a year, straight after I graduated from the university in Prague with the diploma of the manager, I decided to focus on art and went to Moscow, where I entered the photography department at the British Higher School of Art and Design (BHSAD).
During my studies, I soon felt that I needed to move beyond photography and started experimenting with different media from plasterboard to mirrors. In fact, all my exhibits at BHSAD were not limited to photography but were a full-fledged mixture of digital art and installation.
“I plunged deep in 3D printing”
My acquaintance with the world of additive technologies started in a rather prosaic and at the same time unexpected way. In 2017, just shortly before 3D Print Expo, I accidentally saw an ad of a kappa on YouTube. Being a person that failed to visit an orthodontist for several years and to get braces, I was interested in the offering of alternative correction of occlusion. I began reading about the production of kappas and came across 3D printing.
I was amazed at that moment that there was a whole range of alternative molding methods, which could change our understanding of the production and logistics of goods, and I had not even heard about it. I did not wear kappas but plunged deep in 3D printing. In 2018, I started using 3D modelling and printing for the creation of art works. I call my printed works “additive art”.
“The additive field is at the start of a long journey now”
3D printing became an interesting object of research for me and at the same time an ideal way to express myself. I can bring to life any of my creative ideas in short term and research all possible ways of using additive manufacturing in art, open up different ways of post-processing, and make a contribution into the development of additive molding, as the additive field is at the start of a long journey now.
As a person in no way connected to 3D modelling before, I had to study a variety of programs, concepts, and tools. Now I work with ZBrush to create sculptures and Rhinoceros 3D to create jewelry models. I print drafts of my works with PLA plastics on my self-assembled Prusa i3 MK3 (a rather reliable entry-level FDM printer). I prefer printing the final version of my works with photopolymers as they allow for convenient post-processing and high detalization.
“3D printing realized my art idea at one hundred per cent”
To realize works, I rely on my creative idea but also take into account restrictions of certain printing technology. Modeling and printing of master models have more rules to follow, as there are certain technology based standards for the production of jewels, for example, the minimum thickness of the product that can be casted using metal.
You will be able to see my first full-scale additive sculpture “Think twice what to think about” at 3D Print Expo 2019. The work was printed with photopolymers. In this case, 3D printing realized my art idea at one hundred per cent.
“I introduce the concept of “wearable art” to the viewer”
I developed a 3D model of this artwork basing on my photographic self-portrait and then 3D printed it. In such a way, I turned a physical object into a photo and then once again into a physical object using 3D printing. In this artwork, I touch upon several themes that are very important for my creative work, one of which is the integration of additive technologies in the production, the impact of this process on human life, and the development of future markets.
In this artwork, I also introduce the concept of “wearable art” to the viewer, i.e. art objects that people can wear (the whole work or a part of it) as a reminder of important themes. In the sculpture “Think twice what to think about”, gold-plated silver earrings with a message are wearable. I was developing their design for several months. According to my idea, earrings had to contain big words. However, the first models of earrings turned out to be too heavy for continuous wear, so I had to improve the design.
“I came to the creation of jewelry thanks to 3D printing”
The text of four earrings says, “THINK”, “TWICE”, “LOVE”, and “SAMURAI”. “THINK” and “TWICE” reflect the main inspiration to develop the sculpture “Think twice what to think about” – the fight against psychosomatic illnesses caused by thoughts and emotions. By wearing these earrings, people can remind themselves how important it is to control thoughts (according to yoga, you become what you think about). The word “LOVE” summons people to fill the world with love – I want to communicate this message through my art. “SAMURAI” encourages devotion, as it is good for mental health to serve other people.
I came to the creation of jewelry thanks to 3D printing a little less than a year ago. While I was studying the use of 3D printing in different areas, I got interested in the photopolymer printing of master models and direct metal printing of jewelry. So, I decided to incorporate jewelry production in my art process and start developing the idea of “wearable art” as part of my creative work. For me, experimenting with printed jewelry is an exciting challenge, a chance to explore the potential and restrictions of 3D printing, and a way to express myself as an artist.
“The acquaintance with the world of additive technologies was a real revelation for me”
I was quite surprised that in 25 years of my life I had never dealt with 3D printing and had not even known about its existence before I learned about additive molding, although additive technologies had been evolving for almost 40 years then. So, the acquaintance with the world of additive technologies was a real revelation for me and I imagined how many people missed the possibility to use these technologies for the realization of their projects. This inspired me to tell people about 3D printing and that is how qbed.space appeared in November 2017.
The second incentive for the creation of my own information portal was the desire to destroy knowledge-based entry barriers faced by people that want to master 3D printing from scratch. When I attended 3D Print Expo for the first time ever in 2017 knowing nothing about additive technologies, I noted that it was quite difficult to immerse in such a field without special education. The volume of information on 3D printing, post-processing, and 3D modeling is huge and mastering is a difficult task for a newbie. I majored in translation, management, and photography and none of these qualifications had a relation to the 3D world.
“I plan to highlight the potential of 3D printing in art”
On qbed.space, I write about the immersion in the world of additive manufacturing and 3D modeling from scratch. I thought that people without any elementary knowledge about additive technologies might find such a portal useful. Besides, I plan to highlight the potential of 3D printing in art, as the number of such narrowly themed resources is scarce. As part of the qbed brand, I am developing three main directions: the creation of additive art, the creation of wearable art in the form of unique jewelry, and the management of www.qbed.space.
Currently, I am designing a collection of jewelry for my brand. An online jewelry store is about to open. Besides, I work with the EVOLUTION service on the creation of a series of jewelry for their brand. I have plans to write articles about my art path and the use of 3D printers for the creation of art objects.
Attendees will have an opportunity to see and assess the artwork of Kristina Ryumina “Think twice what to think about” at 3D Print Expo 2019.
The event will take place on October 4 and 5. You can see the full program of the exhibition here ►►►
