Hanka Augustinova

Artist Statement

I am a Czech-American artist whose creative practice has evolved through the different chapters of my life—medicine, science, motherhood, community, and art.
My background as an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon shaped the way I observe the world: with attention to detail, form, proportion, and the subtle beauty of what we see.
Later, while living in Boston and working in basic science research, I found myself increasingly drawn to the city’s vibrant artistic community and to art as a counterbalance to the precision of science.

Motherhood opened a new chapter in my creative life. Through years of studio classes at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and involvement in my local community, art gradually moved from the edges of my life to its center. I began to not only create my own art using different medias as oil, charcoal, acrylic, print, but also to create opportunities for children to make and exhibit their own work, and I continue to develop art immersion experiences for Yale College students and Yale medical residents, encouraging others to experience art as a way of observing, connecting, and seeing the familiar differently.

For the past five years, ceramics has become the heart of my artistic practice. I am particularly interested in creating objects that live at the intersection of art and everyday life—pieces that can hold food, flowers, serve tea or simply be placed on a table, while also carrying meaning beyond their function.

I am drawn to organic forms, tactile surfaces, subtle imperfections, and the marks left by the hand. My roots, the natural world, family traditions, travel, and the rituals of gathering around a table continually influence my work.

I believe beauty belongs in ordinary life.
A handmade bowl or platter can become part of a family’s rituals and memories; it can invite touch, begin a conversation, or cause someone to pause for a moment and simply look. My work explores this relationship between usefulness and beauty, intimacy and community, simplicity and emotion.

Ultimately, I create pieces to be lived with. I hope they bring beauty to everyday rituals while offering something less tangible: a moment of curiosity, connection, reflection, or joy.

My work has been exhibited in galleries throughout New England and is held in private collections in the United States and Europe.