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    Piped Like Cake Icing, Ebony Russell’s Luscious Vessels Evoke Emotional Celebrations

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    All images courtesy of Ebony Russell, shared with permission

    Piped Like Cake Icing, Ebony Russell’s Luscious Vessels Evoke Emotional Celebrations

    June 12, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Piping clay with bakery tools, Ebony Russell creates a range of delectable vessels in a prism of colors.

    Russell’s practice is founded in both the relationship between form and function and the nature of the vessel itself as a container for memory and gesture. “I’m interested in how material can carry emotion and presence,” she says. “A lot of what I make starts from personal experience, but I hope it opens space for others to reflect, too.”

    Intrigued by the aesthetics and process of cakes, the Australian artist originally focused on sculptural motifs like bride-and-groom or ballerina toppers, but the icing itself gradually emerged as a focus. “I was searching for a way to build with clay that felt more fluid and intuitive,” she tells Colossal. “When I started using piping bags, I loved the immediacy and texture—it felt like drawing in space.”

    Some of the works shown here are included in Russell’s current solo exhibition, Frivolous, at Martin Browne Contemporary in Sydney, which continues through June 21. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram. (via PAN)

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      Paper-Thin Porcelain Works by Mark Goudy Balance on Folds Inspired by Origami

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      All images courtesy of Mark Goudy, shared with permission

      Paper-Thin Porcelain Works by Mark Goudy Balance on Folds Inspired by Origami

      June 10, 2025

      ArtCraftDesign

      Kate Mothes

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      From delicately folded paper, Berkeley-based ceramicist Mark Goudy draws inspiration for an ongoing series, Origami. He describes his work as “minimal forms with hidden complexity,” building on a love for simple yet elegant forms that reflect nature’s inherent geometries.

      In meticulous sculptures that merge form and function, Goudy pulls from his experience as a 3D graphics hardware design engineer. Using algorithmic 3D software, he creates objects that nod to the art of Japanese paper folding. “Many of these forms are designed to balance on the folds—when set on a flat surface, they rock back and forth, naturally settling into their inherent point of equilibrium,” he says.

      Goudy’s thin, translucent, slipcast pieces are made from black or white porcelain, which he occasionally colors by painting metallic salt watercolors directly onto the surface after they have been bisque fired. Salt soaks up and redistributes the pigment, which is further influenced by the texture and permeability of the material.

      “As the metal salts soak into the porous clay body, they move and interact with each other,” the artist says. “And during the drying process, they naturally gradate and concentrate on the edges, highlighting the folds and ridges of my forms.”

      Using only three metal salt pigments: gold, cobalt, and chromium, Goudy achieves various shades of red, blue, and green. “I am especially drawn to cobalt blue, a reference to the ineffable blue of water and distance,” he says. “I think of these objects as containers for light and atmosphere.”

      Goudy’s work will be on view in the 63rd Faenza Prize for the International Biennial of Contemporary Ceramic Art in Faenza, Italy, from June 28 to November 30. See more of the artist’s work on his website and Instagram.

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      Chinese Herbs Suspended in Resin Usher in Healing in Wen Liu’s Skeletal Sculptures

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      “Ouroflora” (2025),
      prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, 34 x 46 x 1 1/2 inches. All images courtesy of Wen Liu, shared with permission

      Chinese Herbs Suspended in Resin Usher in Healing in Wen Liu’s Skeletal Sculptures

      June 3, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      “In traditional Chinese medicine, treatments are prescribed through dialogue—how well one can communicate internal pain becomes a condition for healing,” says Wen Liu. Particularly difficult in moments of agony and discomfort, accurately describing our bodily sensations is essential for receiving treatment, and yet, as Liu points out, it’s also an act of translation that can feel nearly impossible while suffering and speaking a second or third language.

      The Shanghai-born artist, who is now based in Brooklyn, draws on this reality for her sculptural works that suspend dried herbs in tinted resin. Liu began incorporating these natural prescriptions into her practice when her father died “as a way to metabolize grief and explore healing through cultural connection,” she adds.

      “In Light, Where Edges Yield” (2025), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, stainless steel, 65 x 65 x 3 1/2 inches

      Painted in pale purples and greens or silver, the molded-clay structures are architectural and skeletal, while the herbal portions evoke both stained-glass windows often seen in churches and cathedrals and vulnerable membranes of the body. Many works are affixed to the wall, although the human-sized “In Light, Where Edges Yield” stands freely on four legs with a spinal column at its center.

      Liu is intrigued by the way light filters through these surfaces and appears on the other side as a sacred, distorted beam of color. “This refracted illumination offers a sensory language beyond speech, mirroring the project’s exploration of emotions like grief, the processes of healing, and the inadequacy of language in capturing lived experience,” she adds.

      Continually mixing Eastern and Western traditions, Liu instills a sense of harmony and balance in her works. She gravitates toward symmetry and presents her sculptures almost like a Rorschach test, inviting viewers into a delicate dialogue of healing.

      Antidote is on view through June 21 at Gaa Gallery in New York. Liu is currently working toward an exhibition opening this month at Tang Contemporary Art Beijing, and you can explore more on her website and Instagram. (via Young Space)

      “Inarticulate Trace No1.” (2023), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 37 x 32 x 1.5 inches

      “Silhouette of a Dose” (2022), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43 x 41 x 1.5 inches

      Detail of “Silhouette of a Dose” (2022), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43 x 41 x 1.5 inches

      Detail of “In Light, Where Edges Yield” (2025), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, stainless steel, 65 x 65 x 3 1/2 inches

      “Inarticulate Trace No2.” (2024), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 40 x 43 x 1.5 inches

      “Inarticulate Trace No3.” (2024), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43.5 x 40.5 x 1.5 inches

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      Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze Sculptures

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      “Another Place,” Casart Edition, bronze, 32 x 30 x 35 centimeters

      Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze Sculptures

      May 14, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      In the emotional bronze and terracotta sculptures of Paola Grizi (previously), faces and hands merge with pages of books and manuscripts. Handwriting slides off the leaves onto skin and reliefs of eyes, noses, and mouths peer outward like knowledge and stories personified. Many of her works are scaled to sit on interior surfaces, while others, like “Inner Motion” or “Looking Ahead” take on monumental proportions.

      Grizi currently has work permanently on view at Marciano Contemporary in Paris, Bel Air Fine Art in Luxembourg, and Gallery Van Dun in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands. This summer, pieces will also be included in a presentation at Gallery Maner in Port-Aven, France. See more on the artist’s website.

      “Looking Ahead,” Casart Edition, bronze, 120 x 110 x 20 centimeters

      “Background,” Casart Edition, bronze, 32 x 12 x 15 centimeters

      “Inner Motion,” Casart Edition, bronze

      “Kiss,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 37 x 20 centimeters

      “Boundless,” terracotta

      “Composition,” Casart Edition, bronze, 30 x 35 x 25 centimeters

      “Multiple Lectures,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 30 x 20 centimeters

      Work in progress in the artist’s outdoor studio

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      ‘And Then There Was Everything’ Unearths the Allure of Natural Motifs at Joy Machine

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      Jeremy Miranda

      ‘And Then There Was Everything’ Unearths the Allure of Natural Motifs at Joy Machine

      April 9, 2025

      ArtNaturePartner

      Joy Machine

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      Joy Machine is thrilled to announce its second exhibition, And Then There Was Everything, featuring works by Paul S. Briggs, David Cass, Laura Catherwood, Yellena James, Jeremy Miranda, Jeffly Gabriela Molina, and Anna Ortiz. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 18.

      And Then There Was Everything takes its name from the opening line of Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory, which beckons readers into a winding, interconnected narrative tuned into the intimations of the trees. Powers writes that “a good answer must be reinvented many times, from scratch,” a sentiment each artist uniquely investigates through painting, ceramic sculpture, and collage. Iterating on natural motifs, these artists tap into our personal and collective psyches to unearth the recurring messages within.

      Paul Briggs, “Effloresce (Series)” (2025), black stoneware, white cone 6 glaze

      Rendering the familiar unfamiliar has long been a way to investigate the overlooked and to surface hidden emotions, and each artist presents seemingly common subject matter as an invitation to pause and look inward.

      In Briggs’ leafy vessels, repeating motifs are key to achieving equanimity. The artist uses a technique he calls “hand-turning” and works in a “very assertive but tender process.” From a single ball of clay, he pinches small, dynamic fronds surrounding the vessel walls as he finds a meditative balance in both his mind and the sculptures themselves.

      Although working at an intimate scale, Cass zooms outward as he paints undulating waves on antique tins, matchboxes, pulleys, and more, a collection of 14 of which are installed at Joy Machine. Visible swipes of paint delineate the horizon in some pieces, while others are entirely awash in curved lines. Interested in conveying the effects of a heating planet and rising waters, Cass uses repurposed, human-made containers representative of physical constraints as metaphors for our collective limits to adapt.

      In James’ alluring canvases, dense ecosystems spill from edge to edge. Striving for a perfect balance that becomes “a sort of compulsive meditation,” the artist paints delicate, otherworldly environments evocative of both land and sea. Catherwood similarly lingers in uncertainty as she renders hybrid creatures with fantastic motifs. Painted with soft, tender brushstrokes, the arresting beings become welcome companions to explore life’s mysteries and adjust to its cycles.

      Anna Ortiz, “Reflexión” (2024), oil on canvas, 30 x 34 inches

      Ortiz, too, conjures the uncanny in “Reflexión,” a desert landscape dotted with a pair of agave plants underneath an eclipse reflected on Lake Texcoco. The saturated, limited color palette renders the time of day ambiguous and helps establish a surreal borderland in which the now-dried lake still exists. Mixing memory and imagination, Ortiz draws on her own ancestral connections and positions the twin agaves as a way to consider unfulfilled destinies. 

      Miranda and Molina grapple with similar questions as they utilize recollections of moments and spaces. Observation is at the heart of Miranda’s works, and he harnesses the ethereal qualities of light to cast familiar spaces anew. In his hands, a nondescript pocket of forest or humble bonfire becomes dreamlike, prompting questions of perspective and how we understand our relationships to the settings that surround us.

      For Molina, a flutter of yellow butterflies and a mirrored parrot are symbols of connection and care. The brightly colored insects accompany a portrait of the artist’s mother as a child in “Mother Our Castles Will Not Be Made of Sand,” while “To Misericordia” conjures a place long gone. A poem inscribed in the work reads, “… And do you know that glitter and gold have gone out of fashion, and that your parrot no longer remembers himself?,” which references Molina’s great-grandmother’s pet and the ways companions give shape to the self.

      And Then There Was Everything is on view from April 18 to June 7. RSVP to the opening reception here.

      Jeffly Gabriela Molina, “Mother Our Castles Will Not Be Made of Sand” (2020), watercolor on Arches 300 Lb, 23 x 23 inches

      David Cass, “Pulley I – Rockport, ME” (2023-24), oil on marine pulley, 23 x 11.5 x 8 centimeters

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      Rooms and Buildings Have a Life of Their Own in Eamon Monaghan’s Uncanny Dioramas

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      “Road Refrigerator” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 33 x 63 x 15 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Moskowitz Bayse, Los Angeles, shared with permission

      Rooms and Buildings Have a Life of Their Own in Eamon Monaghan’s Uncanny Dioramas

      February 19, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Framed by steel I-beams, aluminum cladding, or floor boards, Eamon Monaghan’s chaotic dioramas appear ready to burst from their own confines. Made from everyday materials like cardboard, tinfoil, wire, and epoxy clay, his sculptures capture harried moments of disarray seemingly frozen in time.

      In the artist’s current solo exhibition, Under the Floorboards at Moskowitz Bayse, the sculptures jump off the wall, angles jutting this way and that. Beams intersect with appliances; floor boards bend; stairways emerge from nowhere and terminate in open space; and radiator steam infiltrates everything in its path.

      “Foggy Pipes” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 34 x 70 x 18 inches

      Monaghan draws on the work of 20th-century underground legends like cartoonist R. Crumb or clay animator Bruce Bickford. In the artist’s three-dimensional scenes, tiny figures sometimes emerge comically half-concealed, sometimes grappling with the situation at hand and sometimes simply swept up in the action.

      He embraces unpredictability and farce, playfully examining the relationships between stability, movement, time, and a sense of control. In “Stages,” for example, a series of platforms and rooms shift around in a puzzle-like arrangement, with one figure apparently taken by surprise by a steel beam, another crawling behind a curtain, and yet another passed out on a sofa while helping to “pull the strings” of the entire uncanny production.

      Under the Floorboards continues through March 29 in Los Angeles. Find more on the artist’s Instagram.

      “Stages” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 44 x 67 x 15 inches

      Detail of “Foggy Pipes”

      “Trap Door” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 25 x 30 x 10 inches

      Side view of “Road Refrigerator”

      “Secure The Spaghetti” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 16 x 35 x 10 inches

      “A Nice Night In” (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 28 x 45 x 14 1/2 inches

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      Whimsical Ceramic Sculptures by En Iwamura Evoke Ancient Traditions and Childlike Curiosity

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      “Neo Jomon: Green Mask” (2024), glazed ceramic, 35 3/8 x 30 1/4 x 28 3/4 inches. Photos by Grace Dodds. All images courtesy of the artist and Ross + Kramer, Gallery, New York, shared with permission

      Whimsical Ceramic Sculptures by En Iwamura Evoke Ancient Traditions and Childlike Curiosity

      February 6, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      In Japanese philosophy, the concept of Ma emphasizes the relationships between time and space and how moments, intervals, and distance provide the basis for how we experience the world around us. Derived from the word Ma, or “間,” which translates to “pause” or “gap,” the idea of negative space is viewed as a fundamental element of art and architecture.

      For En Iwamura, who lives and works near Kyoto, working from the perspective of Ma forms a significant tenet of his sculpture practice (previously). He examines scale, the sense of one’s surroundings, and comfort in proximity to others. “People constantly read and measure different Ma between themselves, and finding the proper or comfortable Ma between people or places can provide a specific relationship at a given moment,” the artist says in a statement.

      “Neo Jomon: Black/White Mask” (2024), glazed ceramic, 38 1/4 x 34 5/8 x 29 1/2 inches

      In Mask, Iwamura’s solo exhibition at Ross+Kramer Gallery, he delves into the cultural, conceptual, and symbolic significance of the titular objects. Drawing on childhood memories of visiting the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, where he saw masks from around the world, the artist evokes the sense of mystery he felt upon viewing the works and curiosity about their origins.

      Masks have been used for centuries in cultures all around the globe, predominantly associated with religious ceremonies, funerary customs, festivals, dramatic performances, and other rituals of social importance. We don masks to protect us from inclement weather or to provide a layer of safety in certain sports or recreational activities. In 2020, the mask took on a new significance in the global effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

      Iwamura’s playful, gentle, sometimes wistful ceramic sculptures reference the historical nature of masks while reflecting their role in our contemporary world. “A driving force behind this collection of work is a reconnection to child-like senses of curiosity, wonderment, and creativity,” says an exhibition statement.

      In this exhibition, Iwamura presents numerous sculptures from his ongoing Neo Jomon series, drawing on details characterizing earthenware of the ancient Jōmon culture, which existed in what is modern-day Japan from around 14,000 to 300 B.C.E. The name literally means “cord-marking” after a style of pottery scholars attribute to the period.

      “Neo Jomon: Mask and Eyes” (2024), glazed ceramic, 31 7/8 x 31 7/8 x 28 inches

      Soft forms complement vibrant hues and a variety of textures in Iwamura’s sculptures, which range in size from a little over a foot tall to more than five feet. “To achieve these intricate surfaces, the artist allows his hand-built forms to air dry slightly before drawing various tools across the surface of the clay,” the gallery says. The textures recall rake-like patterns of Buddhist Zen gardens and cord-marking, a technique of pressing a twisted cord into wet clay.

      “While serving as a meditation on parenthood, this series is also an encouragement to reunite with one’s inner child,” the gallery says. Mask continues through March 26 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      “Neo Jomon: Red Mask” (2024), glazed ceramic, 46 x 46 1/2 x 31 1/8 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Stacking Neighbor” (2024), glazed ceramic, 20 1/8 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Pink Mask (Beret)” (2024), glazed ceramic, 36 x 40 x 7 1/4 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Stacking Neighbor” (2024), glazed ceramic, 16 7/8 x 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Black Mask (Crack)” (2024), glazed ceramic and gold, 31 x 31 x 9 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Stacking Neighbor” (2024), glazed ceramic, 15 x 9 7/8 x 6 3/4 inches

      “Neo Jomon: Blue Mask” (2024), glazed ceramic and gold, 23 x 36 x 14 5/8 inches

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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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      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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