Masha Babko (b. 1992, Irkutsk) grew up on the banks of the Angara River, a landscape that would later infiltrate her practice through recurring motifs of fauna, forest, and the muted palette of the Siberian taiga. After completing a BFA at the Irkutsk State Academy of Fine Arts (2014), Babko moved to Moscow, where she joined the collective “1st Studio”—a loose network of emerging artists who share a common interest in low‑tech, hand‑made objects that blur the line between fine art and design. The collective’s manifesto emphasizes “material honesty” and “cultural bricolage,” encouraging members to work in series that can be reproduced as affordable objects (posters, pins, magnets) without sacrificing conceptual depth.
Babko designed the image in Adobe Illustrator, then collaborated with a local print shop in Moscow’s Sokolniki district. The polymer sheets are printed using a digital UV printer that cures the ink instantly, ensuring color fidelity and durability. The magnetization step is outsourced to a small hardware firm that supplies neodymium discs to boutique designers. The entire workflow—from concept to finished magnet—takes roughly two weeks, underscoring the “rapid‑prototyping” ethos of the 1st Studio model. Masha Babko Siberian Mouse 1st Studio Magnet