Meet the Maker: Ivan Rügen, Sitar maker from Saint Petersburg
In a studio in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ivan Rügen works on instruments and art objects that blur the boundaries between craft, music and visual art. His work stems from a deep fascination with sound, form and material. Combining traditional techniques with a distinctly personal imagination, he creates objects that speak both visually and musically.
Rügen belongs to a small group of makers who approach instrument making as an artistic discipline in its own right. For him, an instrument is not only a means of making music, but also a sculpture: a form in which wood, resonance and aesthetics come together.
Each piece is created well-considered, with attention to detail and a constant dialogue between craftsmanship, experimentation and intuition.
In his studio, he creates unique instruments and instrument-like objects that refer to different cultural traditions, but at the same time bear his own signature. Ivan Rügen shows how craftsmanship and creativity can reinforce each other; and how an instrument can also be a story, even before the first note is played.
In this first introduction to Meet the Maker, I ask him a few questions about his work, his inspiration and his vision on instrument making.
This interview with Ivan Rügen is part of the Meet the Maker series on SiTAR FAcToRY, where instrument makers from around the world share their work, ideas and inspiration.
