Our Story
Hi, we are Valeriia & David!
Our story begins in Rovinj.
Valeriia had recently left Ukraine as the war began and was building a new life there, working as a ceramic artist. David was visiting Croatia when they met. He went back to Germany shortly after, but kept returning. Within a month he was back in Rovinj. Then again. The third time, he stayed longer, and eventually the decision was no longer temporary.
What developed between us wasn’t just a relationship, but a shared direction in life. From the beginning, David was involved in everything around the practice: helping at fairs, building the website, and taking care of the quieter but necessary parts that sit behind creative work. Over time, it became clear that the two sides complemented each other. Valeriia’s focus was the work itself → form, material, process, and her knowledge in art and ceramic making. David’s was structure, communication, and making it all function beyond the studio.
In 2023 we took the step to open our first atelier in Pula, just behind the Amphitheatre. It was a small and simple space, but it quickly grew into something more than we expected. Especially through the workshops, we saw how strong the response was. People didn’t just come to look at ceramics and get a souvenir, they came to work with their hands, and to spend time in a different rhythm for a while.
From there, the path continued step by step, shaped by the work, the people we met, and the life we were building together.
Us and our beloved Atelier in Pula (2023)
That same connection eventually led us into a new chapter in life as well. We got married this year, and in 2024 our family grew. With everything happening at once, and knowing how much time and care both family and craft require, we made the difficult decision to step away from the physical shop for a while.
Still, the work never stopped. Valeriia gradually began hosting workshops again in late 2024, and we joined a few fairs that reminded us how much we love, not just making art, but sharing it with others. It was a slow rebuild, but an important one.
In 2025, we continued on a larger scale, balancing family life, workshops, fairs, and preparation for reopening something more permanent. During that time we found a small, charming space in Premantura that felt right from the very beginning. It wasn’t an easy process to get here, but it became the new home of our atelier.
Today, Sea of Cups is rooted in everything we’ve lived through together. It reflects love, patience, resilience, and the beauty of everyday life along the Istrian coast. It is inspired by our shared journey, by the places we’ve been, and by the life we are still building.
Valeriia is the driving creative force behind it all. Her work carries a rare sensitivity, shaped by nature and emotion, expressed through carefully formed yet intentionally imperfect shapes. They feel alive in a way that cannot be planned, only felt.