Karina Killeen, a Russian fine art ceramic artist and designer who moved to Ireland in 2001, has, since November of last year, been offering free art and pottery classes to Ukrainian families displaced by the war in Ukraine.

In 2016, she was one of the co-founders of Shandon Art Studio, which is located in a bright and airy space behind the Firkin Crane, and she described the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as “a tragedy for both nations”.

“In Russia we share the same culture and language with Ukrainian people,” Karina said. “We understand each other on so many different levels, like our sense of humour, cuisine, hospitality and beautiful Ukrainian songs which are so loved in Russia.

“I hope that our Ukrainian group enjoys the peaceful and friendly atmosphere at our classes in Shandon Art Studio.”

On the Saturday afternoon when The Echo reporter and photographer visit, Karina says there was a smaller group of Ukrainian artists present than usual, but whatever the local equivalent of craic is, it’s certainly in evidence as Tatiana and her 11-year-old son Mikhail, their friends Larion (six) and Myron (eight), and Elena work happily away.

Karina translates as Elena explains that she is new to working with clay, and she has some ideas for new works which she is looking forward to developing. Her first step will be to make a square vase, and in only her third week in Shandon, she feels her work is really improving.

Larion and Myron are busy making very impressive teddy bears from clay, and Myron says he and Larion have been coming to Shandon for two months and they love it.

The boys’ mum, Tatiana, says it is her first day attending the studio, and her first time using clay since she played with play-doh as a child. She says she and her children have been in Ireland for a year, and as much as they are grateful to Ireland for giving them shelter, they still miss their home.

A week before our conversation, Tatiana says, their home city of Uman in central Ukraine was hit by a long-range Russian missile, which struck a block of flats, killing 23 people, including four children.

The free art classes for Ukrainian people are supported by the Shandon Business Association and the Cathedral Credit Union.

In an alcove around the corner, one of Shandon Art Studio’s Cork-born students, 11-year-old Doireann Fitzgerald, is working on a pottery wheel, shaping a grey square of clay.

As the clay spins around, Doireann centres it on the table and uses her hands to flatten and broaden the round shape, or squeeze it and make it taller, and Doireann’s mum Sinead notes that, while Demi Moore made pottery wheels look glamourous in the film Ghost, in real life the discipline is cold and wet, and quite physically demanding.

Doireann says the amount of time spent shaping one piece depends on that piece, and one size never fits all.

“If you’re making a big, tall thing, then you’d have to spend a lot of time keeping it centered, but if you’re only making a small bowl it would only take a minute or so, well for me, anyway, but when I started it would have taken me a few days,” she explains.

Sinead is sculpting too, and they both joined the studio around six months ago.

“I took it up with Doireann because she wanted to do it, and it’s actually become the most special time we have a week, it actually is, it’s really positive, it’s a lovely space, it’s so different from your everyday work stresses, and it really is the nicest thing we do every week,” Sinead adds.

In the time that The Echo turns away from Doireann to talk with her mum, the clay shape on the pottery wheel has suddenly become a bowl, and Doireann laughs at the reporter’s astonishment.

Doireann will represent Shandon Art Studio at the STAMP Festival at The Counting House, at the former Beamish & Crawford Brewery, which is taking place on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21.

Also representing the studio at STAMP will be Ukrainian artist Volodomir Rudenko, who will be providing a free life-drawing workshop.

In the heart of one of Cork’s oldest communities, Shandon Art Studio offers a peaceful oasis of calm, reflection and art, and all are welcome.