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      Naomi Peterson Channels a Sweet Tooth and Sense of Togetherness in Her Vibrant ‘Cup-Cakes’

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      “Mud Pies.” All images courtesy of Naomi Peterson, shared with permission

      Naomi Peterson Channels a Sweet Tooth and Sense of Togetherness in Her Vibrant ‘Cup-Cakes’

      February 4, 2025

      ArtCraftFood

      Kate Mothes

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      Frosted sponge and overstuffed pies are just a few of the sweet treats Naomi Peterson crafts from clay. Her playful “cup-cakes” take confectionery as a starting point, adding layers reminiscent of fondant, ice cream scoops, berries, and sprinkles.

      Many of Peterson’s pieces are functional, incorporating lids or handles to be used as vessels or coffee mugs. “I’m drawn to visual sweetness, imagining the potential enjoyment of confectioneries rather than physically consuming them,” she tells Colossal. “I actually prefer savory and salty foods to sweet ones!”

      “Topiary Jar 2”

      Flowers complement playful lattice patterns in vibrant hues, sometimes leaning into a garden theme with topiary forms. Peterson relies on an intuitive approach that combines wheel-thrown techniques with hand-building methods like coils, slabs, and pinching. “I construct different forms and plan surfaces later,” she says. “I find if I pre-plan the surface and shape from the beginning, the process becomes too controlled, limiting spontaneity.”

      Once the basic form is complete, Peterson adds or removes elements through darting—cutting wedge-shaped pieces from a cylinder of clay—and embellishing with sprig or press molds. “My surfaces require many applications and separate firings to achieve vibrant, layered effects,” she says. “Before ceramics, I spent many years painting mainly with oils, influencing much of my surface decisions.”

      We often think of confectionery as a token of joy, celebration, and togetherness. Every cake and bon bon reflects Peterson’s interest in relationships and the way our actions and emotions entwine us with others and our communities. The spaces in between the dot patterns are essential, “not to keep each element distant but to connect them,” she says. “Although not physically connected, each of us is important as part of a whole.”

      Peterson’s work will be part of Dirt Folk: Planted, a pop-up exhibition running concurrently with the 2025 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in March in Salt Lake City. If you’re on the East Coast, you’ll be able to see her work in Lines and Patterns from March 22 to May 24 at Baltimore Clayworks. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      Assorted “Cakes”

      “Flower Pot”

      Assorted “Bon Bons”

      “Bloom Cake 2”

      Assorted “Bon Bons”

      “Pluff Jar”

      Confectionery-inspired mugs

      “Harmonia”

      Assorted “Cakes”

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    • 138 Shares169 Views

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      Through Ceramics, Stephanie Shih Considers the Disillusioning Price of Domestic Bliss

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      “Nuclear Family” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad courtesy of the artist and Alexander Berggruen, shared with permission

      Through Ceramics, Stephanie Shih Considers the Disillusioning Price of Domestic Bliss

      January 27, 2025

      ArtSocial Issues

      Jackie Andres

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      Nothing says true love like arguing about who left the cap off the toothpaste, right? From a darkly comedic perspective, Stephanie Shih explores the multiple meanings of “domestic bliss” in a social landscape fraught with consumerism and clashing politics.

      It all started with the 1998 self-help book, Divorce for Dummies. The sardonic humor of a goofy cartoon character exclamatorily holding up a finger offering counsel to one’s broken marriage—for the totally reasonable price of $19.99—was a catalyst for Shih’s interest in the capitalist absurdity that came with the divorce boom of the 1980s and ’90s.

      “Chores” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad

      Shifting social and cultural factors, such as the introduction of no-fault divorce laws and emergent waves of feminism, drastically impacted the outlook on divorce in America. Rising individualism, disillusionment with the idea of a nuclear family, and the reclamation of feminine independence all played a part in annulment rates doubling for those aged over 35.

      In Shih’s solo exhibition aptly titled Domestic Bliss, the Brooklyn-based artist spotlights what the gallery, Alexander Berggruen, describes as “artifacts of a single household.” The array of objects evoke the reality of a time when materialism, distorted expectations, and self-loathing created a perfect storm.

      A Thigh Master one likely ordered from QVC in the deep hours of night sits alone on a pedestal, epitomizing the ways in which consumer culture preyed upon insecurities, only to sell women the illusion of control. Prisoner of Desire rests face-down on an ironing board to hold one’s place as escapism is interrupted by the mediocrity of chores. TV dinners stack atop a glowing microwave to signify power dynamics, a substantial portion of Hungry Man reserved for the father and the smallest box reserved for the mother.

      Expanding upon her previous domestic sculptures, each ceramic object evokes a sense of realism, thanks to the artist’s thoroughness. As the exhibition text explains, Shih “scoured eBay listings for photo references and exact dimensions of discontinued packaging in order to faithfully sculpt each object in its era-appropriate likeness.” A range of materials and techniques are then applied to each form, such as hand-painted underglaze, dyed resin, and even electrical elements like lighting. Every step of the way, the artist skillfully instills the mundane with liveliness.

      Domestic Bliss is on view at Alexander Berggruen in New York City through February 26. Find much more on Shih’s Instagram and website.

      “Dissolution” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad

      Photo by Robert Bredvad

      “Jagged Little Pill” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad

      Installation of “Domestic Bliss” (2024). Photo by Dario Lasagni

      “Happy Meal” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad

      “Hot Pockets” (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad

      Installation of “Domestic Bliss” (2024). Photo by Dario Lasagni

      Installation of “Domestic Bliss” (2024). Photo by Dario Lasagni

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    • 113 Shares99 Views

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      Asya Marakulina Sculpts Poignant Ceramic Portraits of Demolished Homes

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      All images courtesy of Asya Marakulina, shared with permission

      Asya Marakulina Sculpts Poignant Ceramic Portraits of Demolished Homes

      January 22, 2025

      ArtSocial Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      Prior to the 20th century, apartment buildings and row houses were often built with shared walls between adjoining properties. Intrigued by these aging structures, Vienna-based artist Asya Marakulina began cataloging examples she first noticed on walks around her former home in St. Petersburg, Russia.

      “Since houses in the 19th century were built without gaps between them, when one house is torn down, the neighboring house often bears traces of the demolished one,” Marakulina tells Colossal. These remnants of decor, plumbing, and other signs of human habitation form the basis of her ongoing ceramic series, There Was a Home.

      When Marakulina moved to Vienna, she noticed a similar phenomenon in the remains of older buildings that had been demolished there, too. Fragments of floor still clung to the walls and the outlines of painted or papered rooms were suddenly—somewhat uncomfortably—external. The ease of a warm interior and its associated domesticity was upended.

      “What touches and affects me the most in images of ruined houses are the traces of wallpaper, tiles, and children’s rooms, which suddenly become visible to the entire street,” the artist says, sharing that the sight evokes a deep sadness. “These spaces were never meant to be seen in such a way.”

      Marakulina likens houses to the bodies of living organisms, imbued with emotions, memories, and layered histories. The ceramic cross-sections take on a portrait-like quality, capturing straightforward views of multistory edifices that are simultaneously immediate and intimate. “Maybe that’s why these images captivate me so much because a part of someone’s inner, domestic life is suddenly turned inside-out and put on public display,” she says.

      The houses in There Was a Home are typically drawn from real buildings, photographs of which she captures herself or finds on the internet. Marakulina also considers the impacts of war and is profoundly moved by the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where thousands of homes have been destroyed and their inhabitants killed or displaced. The half-standing homes simultaneously represent lives lost and the hope of one day being able to rebuild.

      Rather than straightforward copies of the buildings she encounters, Marakulina takes liberties with wall colors, sometimes adding graffiti or words she sees on the streets or derives from the news. She scores the clay to create the textures of tile and concrete or delineate lintels and former doorways. The resulting reliefs become collage-like, merging locations and motifs.

      If you’re in Belgium, you can see the artist’s work in Ceramic Brussels, which opens today and continues through January 26. In London, Marakulina created a site-specific installation for a solo show at The Smallest Gallery in Soho, which continues through mid-February, and later that month, she will exhibit with Vienna Collectors Club. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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    • 175 Shares169 Views

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      At Ceramic Brussels, an Eclectic Array of Works Offers a State of the Medium

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      Eirik Falckner, Kiosken. All images courtesy of Ceramic Brussels, shared with permission

      At Ceramic Brussels, an Eclectic Array of Works Offers a State of the Medium

      January 16, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Grace Ebert

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      From Nobuhito Nishigawara’s gilded drips to Andrés Anza’s spiny forms that could seemingly scuttle away at any moment, an eclectic array of works go on view this month for Ceramic Brussels.

      In its second year, the annual gathering is the only international art fair devoted entirely to the medium. The 2025 edition will feature works by more than 200 artists around the globe, with a particular focus on contemporary Norwegian makers.

      Andres Anza, Galleria Anna Marra

      Spanning myriad aesthetics and processes, the fair presents a wide variety of approaches to and a sort of state of the medium. Some artists, like Eirik Falckner, push the boundaries of ceramic art even further by collaborating with bees to layer thick chunks of honeycomb atop a raw armature.

      Find some works slated to be exhibited at the fair, which runs from January 23 to 26, below.

      Nobuhito Nishigawara, Almine Rech

      Marianne Huotari, Holster Burrows

      Daphne de Gheldere, Spax Projects

      Andres Anza, Galleria Anna Marra

      Nellie Jonsson, QB Gallery

      Nellie Jonsson, QB Gallery

      Samuel Yal, Galerie Ariane C-Y

      Laszlo Borsody, ACB Gallery

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    • 138 Shares159 Views

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      Paper or Porcelain? Saori Matsushita Folds Delicate Ceramic into Playful Objects

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      All images courtesy of Saori Matsushita, shared with permission

      Paper or Porcelain? Saori Matsushita Folds Delicate Ceramic into Playful Objects

      January 14, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Grace Ebert

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      It might be tempting to throw one of Saori Matsushita’s paper airplanes across the room, but we promise you the landing would be less than graceful.

      From her Seattle studio, Matsushita transforms delicate sheets of porcelain into vases, mugs, and sculptures that appear as if they were folded from paper. Punctured with binder holes and the fringed edge of a torn-out sheet, the functional objects bear the iconic blue lines of a school notebook. Other works are similarly deceptive, like the cloth sack or collared-shirt vessels that capture the folds, bends, and bulges of fabric in ceramic.

      To create these pieces, Matsushita utilizes nerikomi, a Japanese pottery technique that involves layering colored bodies of clay together and then cutting them to reveal a patterned section. Stripes of blue and pink appear through stacking slabs rather than the glazing process, and the artist builds most works by hand (head to her YouTube to see more).

      When Matsushita began incorporating this labor-intensive method into her practice in 2023, it helped develop what’s now become her signature style. She shares:

      Previously, I focused on Neriage, a technique where colored clays are combined and wheel-thrown. However, I transitioned to Nerikomi and began treating porcelain sheets like origami or leather to create more unique, personal expressions of my vision. I feel this shift has allowed me to establish a style that truly reflects my individuality as an artist.

      One of Matsushita’s pieces will be featured in Saltstone Ceramics’ annual Mug Madness tournament this March. Follow the latest in her practice, along with announcements about new works available in her shop, on Instagram.

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    • 125 Shares169 Views

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      Nicole McLaughlin’s Mixed-Media Sculptures Celebrate Craft, Heritage, and New Life

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      “Fuentes de Vida; Gemela” (2023)

      Nicole McLaughlin’s Mixed-Media Sculptures Celebrate Craft, Heritage, and New Life

      January 8, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      From ceramics and wool fiber, Nicole McLaughlin (previously) summons striking connections between materials, heritage, and personal experiences. She draws upon the rich traditions of historically domestic crafts to reconsider their roles today, merging ceramics and textiles into elegant, cascading wall sculptures.

      Drawing on artisanal trades like pottery and weaving, McLaughlin deconstructs preconceptions about form and function, emphasizing mediums, techniques, and themes through the unexpected pairing of stoneware and fiber. Her works encourage us to think critically about relationships between tenderness and strength or past and present.

      “Cordón de Vida” (2024), ceramic, tencel, indigo, wool, and cochineal, 27 x 60 x 4 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski Gallery

      Many of the pieces shown here are from McLaughlin’s ongoing Indigo Series, which explores the history of the Mayan pigment and its taps into the continuity of life cycles, history, and culture. Streams of wool fiber flow from central openings in glazed ceramic spheres, referencing the life-giving flow of water as a parallel to fertility and maternal care.

      McLaughlin gave birth to a daughter in early 2024, which dramatically shifted how she viewed her studio practice. The work in her most recent exhibition, String of Life at Anderson Yezerski Gallery, merges personal experiences and her Mexican cultural heritage, delving into themes of life and the transformative journey of motherhood.

      “The transformation of organic material echoes the transformative nature of motherhood,” McLaughlin said in a statement for the show. “The range of colors captures an intense emotional spectrum—from the vitality of birth to the softer, more intimate moments.”

      For McLaughlin, cochineal carries an equivalent significance. The brilliant magenta hue emerges from carmine dye, also known as cochineal, which comes from crushing an insect of the same name. The color plays a vital role in Indigenous material culture and heritage of the Americas.

      Detail of “Cordón de Vida”

      For the Aztecs and Mayans, red was symbolic of the gods, the sun, and blood, and the dye was traded throughout Central and South America for use in rituals, producing pigments for manuscripts and murals, and for dyeing cloth and feathers.

      “During the Mayan empire, indigo was combined with clay and incense to create a pigment known as Maya blue,” she says. “The pigment was said to hold the healing power of water in the agricultural community.”

      McLaughlin’s work is in the group exhibition OBJECTS: USA 2024 at R & Company in New York, which continues through tomorrow. The artist is currently taking a short break from the studio in anticipation of working toward a solo exhibition at Adamah Ceramics in Columbus, Ohio, which will open this fall. See more on her website, and follow updates on Instagram.

      “Agua; Sangre de Vida.” Photo by Logan Jackson, courtesy of R & Company

      “La Pequeña” (2024), ceramic, wool, and cochineal, 10.5 x 21 x 1.5 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski Gallery

      “La Marea que me Envuelve II” (2023). All images courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin, shared with permission

      Detail of “Fuentes de Vida; Gemela”

      Detail of “De Mi Vientre” (2024), ceramic, tencel, wool, and cochineal, 17.5 x 73 x 5.5 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski Gallery

      Untitled (2024), 10 x 10 feet

      Detail of “La Pequeña”

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    • 113 Shares99 Views

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      Embroidered Ceramic Vessels by Caroline Harrius Merge Disparate Crafts

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      All images courtesy of Caroline Harrius, shared with permission

      Embroidered Ceramic Vessels by Caroline Harrius Merge Disparate Crafts

      January 7, 2025

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      Through tiny holes puncturing hand-shaped vessels, Stockholm-based artist Caroline Harrius (previously) embroiders delicate designs. She merges two distinct crafts—ceramics and fiber art—that don’t typically share much in common, exploring relationships between form and function, decoration and utility, and historically gendered artisanal practices.

      Harrius opens a solo show this month titled Blue Memories at Kaolin in Stockholm, the culmination of a three-month residency she undertook in Porsgrunn, Norway, after being awarded the municipality’s porcelain grant. The program comprises a collaborative effort between the local porcelain factory and Kunsthall Grenland to support contemporary artistry in the material.

      “The meeting between textile and ceramics is irrational and full of resistance,” Harrius says in a statement for the exhibition. She spent time at the Porsgruns Porcelain Factory with free reign to expand on existing ideas and apply new inspiration.

      “Next to the workshop was an antique dealer with rows of boxes marked ’10 SEK for everything!,’ filled with objects,” she says. From these trinkets, which the dealer had deemed practically worthless, Harrius imagined new floral designs.

      “I embroider in porcelain with cotton thread in an attempt to recontextualize the crafts,” she says. “I want to make an attempt to highlight all the precious and impressive craft objects that are often left behind within the walls of the home, continue to challenge hierarchies in the field, and make visible traditional female craftsmanship.”

      Blue Memories runs from January 11 to 26. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      Photo by Alexander Beveridge

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    • 125 Shares199 Views

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      Annie Duncan’s Ceramic Sculptures Expand Upon the Modern Feminine Experience

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      Detail of “Material Girl” (2023). All images © Annie Duncan, shared with permission

      Annie Duncan’s Ceramic Sculptures Expand Upon the Modern Feminine Experience

      January 6, 2025

      ArtSocial Issues

      Jackie Andres

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      What objects are associated with femininity? Male-dominated art historical eras point to more traditional motifs such as flowers for fertility and dainty, domestic accoutrements like lace and porcelain. A more contemporary perspective might include everyday items from the drugstore, such as disposable shaving razors, claw clips, and lipstick.

      From centuries past to present day, do these objects ultimately embody similar messages about femininity that withstand the test of time? This overarching question is a catalyst for San Francisco-based artist Annie Duncan.

      Installation view from “Looking Glass” (2023)

      Within her work, sculptural assemblages of mascara tubes, necklaces, perfume bottles, and droopy flowers resemble the familiar surface of a cluttered vanity or overcrowded bathroom countertop. Although Duncan carefully places each sculpture in these compositions, their disorder achieves an air of authenticity. From uncapped cherry Chapstick tubes standing as if they were set down in a rush to discarded rings one decided not to wear after all, there is realism and relatability in each considered detail.

      Encountering common goods at an oversized scale prompts the viewer to confront the social impact each item holds. For instance, in “Material Girl,” an enlarged IUD implant is scattered among a variety of ubiquitous products, calling to the desensitization of challenges faced by those with female bodies. “Suddenly, the presence of these objects and everything they evoke—the burden, the beauty, the cultural magnitude that they possess—is too big to overlook,” the artist says.

      Duncan begins each piece by sculpting clay with a playful disposition. “It really is just grown-up play-dough or Sculpey,” she remarks. Also a painter, the artist hones in on brushwork during the glazing stage. Treating the bisque-fired surface as a canvas, her ceramic forms come to life with a lustrous sheen.

      Lately, the artist has been exploring the power of duality and how the idea of expectations versus reality can be communicated through her sculptures.

      “It’s become a really generative theme in my work; this sense that we’re carrying around our hopes and ambitions, and there’s always an adjustment that happens with the real thing. It doesn’t necessarily mean disappointment, but a sort of a flipping or altering of the plan,” Duncan explains. “To me, this feeling is deeply embedded in the feminine experience. Dialing down your initial vision, and learning to be ok with it; saying one thing while meaning another.”

      Duncan is currently working on a forthcoming group show that will take place in Seoul. Find her on Instagram for updates and check out her website for more artwork.

      Installation view from “Looking Glass” (2023)

      “Wilted Lily” (2023)

      “Biological Clock” (2022)

      “Pair of Razors” (2024)

      “Material Girl” (2023)

      “Instant Remedy” (2024)

      “Friendship Bracelet (Blue)” (2024), “Friendship Bracelet (Pink)” (2024)

      Installation view from “Looking Glass” (2023)

      “You’re Welcome” (2022)

      Installation view from “Looking Glass” (2023)

      Installation view from “Looking Glass” (2023)

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