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Kita imbues seemingly mundane tasks with consequence and emotion, freezing them in time.
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“My boundaries” (2021), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 16.5 x 30 x 12 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist and FUMA Contemporary Tokyo | BUNKYO ART, shared with permission
Emotions Manifest as Uncanny Scenarios in Ayako Kita’s Tender Sculptures
November 24, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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Combining hand-carved Japanese cypress with crystal-clear acrylic resin, Ayako Kita sculpts tender, emotive figures. For her current exhibition, The End of the Day Begins at FUMA Contemporary Tokyo, she focuses on the transitional moment of returning home, in which seemingly mundane tasks like switching on a light or opening a curtain are imbued with consequence, frozen in time.
Kita’s work emphasizes an often introspective world, where a young woman or girl’s consciousness, emotions, and anxieties manifest in uncanny scenarios. The titles usually offer important clues, too. In “me & me,” for example, an extra pair of legs is literally tethered to the character’s own limbs, as if another half-formed parallel version of her person is always present. And change is in the air in “Premonition,” where a slightly apprehensive expression is accompanied by a gust of wind.
“Premonition” (2022), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 29 x 17 x 11 centimeters
In her most recent work, the figures exhibit expressions of curiosity, thoughtfulness, and faint concern, gazing directly at the viewer, as if seeing us unexpectedly across a room or out a window. “When I began to think about creating a world in which all the pieces would connect as one continuous story, this series naturally came to mind,” Kita says in a statement.
The End of the Day Begins includes works the artist has made throughout the past five years. Her newest pieces combine figures with furnishings and architectural elements, a theme she first explored when she was a student. “Rather than a return to my origins, this production became a time to reaffirm that these scenes still exist vividly within me,” she says.
The End of the Day Begins continues through November 29 in Tokyo. Follow Kita on Instagram for updates. You might also enjoy the multifaceted woodcarvings of Yoshitoshi Kenamaki.
“me & me” (2020), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 30 x 22.5 x 15 centimeters
“Night Falls” (2025), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 55 x 21.5 x 18.5 centimeters
“Let go of everything” (2024), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 33.5 x 20.5 x 14 centimeters
“Causality” (2021), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 30 x 30 x 15 centimeters
“Shut Down” (2025), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 51 x 30 x 21 centimeters
“Today Ends Here” (2025), Japanese cypress and acrylic resin, 47 x 32 x 26.5 centimters
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Sebastian Foster’s Fall Print Set is the perfect spot to shop for the next piece to add to your collection or meaningful holiday gifts.
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Jeremy Miranda, “February.” All images courtesy of Sebestian Foster, shared with permission
Sebastian Foster Releases 20 New Prints for the Holidays
November 24, 2025
ArtSponsor
Sebastian Foster
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Sebastian Foster is thrilled to present its 2025 Fall Print Set, marking the 13th anniversary of the collection since publishing the first set in 2012. The new release features 20 works by well-established illustrators, printmakers, and painters from around the world.
The prints in this set have all been published as relatively small editions, hand-signed, and numbered by the artists. Encompassing an eclectic array of mediums and themes, the collection showcases work from artists previously featured on Colossal, including Jeremy Miranda’s dreamy oil paintings, Kenny Harris’s delicately rendered moka pots, and Grant Haffner’s trippy landscapes in bold color palettes.
Daniel Freaker, “Abode of Promise”
Based in Austin but operating solely online, Sebastian Foster shifted focus from a traditional brick-and-mortar gallery handling original work to working with artists to make their paintings into limited print editions, publishing more than 1,000 editions since opening in the late 2000s.
Whether you’re looking for the next piece to add to your collection or for meaningful holiday gifts, head to the gallery’s site to shop the 2025 Fall Print Set today.
Grant Haffner, “Goodnight”
Michael McGrath, “Bird Repellent”
Hiroki Kawanabe, “Night Drive”
Graham Franciose, “Well Shit”
Mia Bergeron, “Constellation”
Kenny Harris, “Moka With Lemons”
Matte Stephens, “New York”
Susan Abbott, “Blue House in Summer”
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Since 2019, the festival has been transforming Georgia’s capital city into a giant public art gallery.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Tbilisi Mural Fest’s Dynamic Murals Brighten the Sides of Buildings Throughout the City appeared first on Colossal. More
All images courtesy of Tblisi Mural Fest, shared with permission
Tbilisi Mural Fest’s Dynamic Murals Brighten the Sides of Buildings Throughout the City
November 21, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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Established in 2019, Tbilisi Mural Fest has a deceptively simple goal: to turn Georgia’s capital city into one huge public gallery. For the artist-organizers, who also create works under the moniker TMF Studio, contemporary murals have the ability to transform unsightly, blocky developments into giant works of art. The paintings are not only a pleasure to look at but also create a more inviting urban environment.
With a few exceptions, much of the recent work created for the festival is representational, showing people engaged in activities like harvesting grapes or dancing. International artists bring a variety of styles to often narrow, vertical compositions, adorning the sides of multilevel buildings.
Afzan Pirzade and TMF Studio, part of the “Dance” series
Through a wide range of figurative, geometric, or abstract styles, Tbilisi’s mural program is expanded each year, engaging viewers in both commercial and residential areas. Find more on the festival’s website and Instagram.
TMF Studio
Detail of work by TMF Studio
Edoardo Ettorre, “Concrete Horizons”
Afzan Pirzade and Besik Maziashvili, “The Most Sacred Connection of All.” Photo by David Chalodze and Anano Kekelia
Afzan Pirzade and Besik Maziashvili, “The Most Sacred Connection of All” (detail)
Fintan Magee, “Girl in Mirrors”
Afzan Pirzade and TMF Studio, “Samaya”
Afzan Pirzade and TMF Studio, part of the “Dance” series (detail)
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Laveuve is known for his meticulously sculpted miniatures rendered in 1/24 and 1/35 scale.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Simon Laveuve’s Scaled-Down Tableaux Reveal Post-Apocalyptic Lifestyles appeared first on Colossal. More
“Une Place Au Soleil” (2025) from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/35 scale, 31 x 26 x 20 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist, shared with permission
Simon Laveuve’s Scaled-Down Tableaux Reveal Post-Apocalyptic Lifestyles
November 20, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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There is always something a bit uncanny about Simon Laveuve’s playful miniatures. Whether a ramshackle residence is built impossibly tall or seems to be both upside-down and right-side-up at the same time, we’re drawn into a strange yet alluring world filled with a range of precisely rendered homes and hangouts.
Laveuve is known for his meticulously sculpted miniatures that evoke post-apocalyptic settings, from stilt houses hovering precariously on rock formations to playful amalgamations of numerous “found objects” like tires and old windows. Typically crafted at 1/24 or 1/35 scale, these tiny tableaux are devoid of people yet feel lived in, as if the inhabitants have just stepped away.
“La Beauté Des Aurores” (2025), from ‘Les Étoiles,’ mixed media, 1/35 scale, 19 x 28 x 13 centimeters
Some of Laveuve’s sculptures feature multiple levels, while others focus on a particular interaction between, say, a beach umbrella that someone appears to have pitched not too long ago next to a car that has been abandoned for years, with giant roots growing through the hood. Whether installed on the wall or propped up on a post, the scenes reveal new details when viewed from different vantage points.
Laveuve has been exceptionally productive lately, as Galerie Decorde just exhibited 10 pieces at an art fair in Strasbourg, France, and the artist has work included in Lucas Nadel’s show at Tagliatella Galleries in Paris, which opens on November 22 and continues through December 20. Among other projects, Galerie Decorde will also include Laveuve’s work in its December group show.
Check out Laveuve’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.
“Rêve De Cime” (2025), from ‘Les Étoiles,’ mixed media, 1/35 scale, 34 x 16 x 11 centimeters
Detail of “Rêve De Cime”
Detail of “La Beauté Des Aurores”
“Une Place Au Soleil” (2025) from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 31 x 26 x 20 centimeters
“Jour De Fête” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 38 x 26 x 18 centimeters
“Jour De Fête” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 38 x 26 x 18 centimeters
Detail of “Jour De Fête”
“Fleur d’IPN” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 33 x 30 x 21 centimeters
Detail of “Fleur d’IPN”
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