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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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      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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      Rice Straw Sculptures by ARKO Contemporize a Traditional Japanese Material

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      All images courtesy of the artist and Somewhere Tokyo, shared with permission

      Rice Straw Sculptures by ARKO Contemporize a Traditional Japanese Material

      December 23, 2024

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      Rice harvests produce straw, a natural byproduct of the dried grain. Traditionally, the material could be used for a wide variety of objects from tatami mats to food wrappers to carrier bags. Many of those products are now made using synthetic materials, and rice straw is more often used for ceremonial or sacred decorations like Shinto shimenawa festoons, which are installed around the New Year and can range from a few centimeters to several meters long.

      For Tokyo-based artist ARKO, rice straw finds a contemporary application in elegant wall hangings. “I started thinking that it should be something new, apart from the old traditions, given that there must be a reason why straw vanished from our life,” she says.

      Interested in the organic nature of the medium, ARKO embraces how environmental changes can influence the look of the work as a reminder that the fiber originated from the ground. Sometimes moisture in the air makes the pieces feel heavy or the straw will emit a scent. Most of the time she maintains the natural color of the thin stalks, occasionally dying layers black or using contrasting string to hold the composition together.

      “In modern times, straw has been replaced by artificial materials and is manufactured with the premise of environmental pollution. (It) is mass-produced and discarded in large quantities,” ARKO says. Although she doesn’t prescribe a ritual meaning to the work, the sculptures evoke “the laws of nature and the great power of life that are often overlooked in modern society where economy takes priority.”

      ARKO is represented by Somewhere Tokyo, and you can find more work on her website and Instagram.

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      Döppel Studio’s ‘Néophore’ Vessels Illuminate Ancient Pottery Traditions with Neon

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      Photos by Ophélie Maurus. All images courtesy of Döppel Studio and ToolsGalerie, shared with permission

      Döppel Studio’s ‘Néophore’ Vessels Illuminate Ancient Pottery Traditions with Neon

      December 18, 2024

      ArtCraftDesign

      Kate Mothes

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      In ancient Greece, amphorae were commonly used for carrying or storing liquids and grains like wine, oil, or cereal. A narrow neck and a large, oval body were easily moved with handles on each side. For Paris-based Döppel Studio, a collaboration between Lionel Dinis Salazar and Jonathan Omar, a millennia-old form inspires a contemporary collection.

      Néophore is a series of terracotta and enamel vessels intersected with looping, handle-like tubes of glowing neon. Situated between sculpture, vessel, and lamp, the series takes a sophisticated yet playful approach to the relationship between form and function.

      Salazar and Omar teamed up with ceramicist Aliénor Martineau, who specializes in mineral-based natural glazes, to customize a reflective enamel that would come alive under the light. Find more on Döppel Studio’s website, and if you’re in Paris, you can see Néophore at ToolsGalerie through January 11.

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      Tropical Birds Burst to Life in the Intricate Paper Cutouts of ‘The Parrot Project’

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      All images courtesy of The Paper Ark, shared with permission

      Tropical Birds Burst to Life in the Intricate Paper Cutouts of ‘The Parrot Project’

      December 18, 2024

      ArtCraftNature

      Kate Mothes

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      The Paper Ark, a collaboration between Nayan Shrimali and Venus Bird (previously), celebrates the diverse beauty of our planet’s wildlife. In The Parrot Project, a new series of intricate paper-cut pieces, the striking creatures take center stage in vivid color.

      “This series focuses on the vibrant beauty of parrots and their contribution to the ecosystem,” say the Ahmedabad, India-based artists, who created 40 different species during the course of one year. Each piece is meticulously hand-cut and painted, realistically depicting the feathered beings.

      The Paper Ark’s collection captures the vibrancy of myriad tropical avian varieties, from the bright blue, yellow, and red of the macaw to the dramatic flash of color in the red-tailed black cockatoo.

      “We want our audience to not just appreciate the beauty of this wonderful species but also understand its importance in nature,” the pair says. Ten percent of proceeds from sales of this series will be donated to a parrot conservation organization.

      See more on The Paper Ark’s website and Behance, and follow updates on Instagram.

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      Bernie Kaminski Invokes Decades Past Through Papier-Mâché Objects

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      Photo by Robert Bredvad. All images courtesy of Bernie Kaminski, shared with permission

      Bernie Kaminski Invokes Decades Past Through Papier-Mâché Objects

      December 11, 2024

      ArtCraft

      Grace Ebert

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      When Bernie Kaminski sculpts his papier-mâché objects, he does so from a fitting spot: his kitchen table.

      Using the sticky pulp, the artist creates lifelike iterations of everyday items you might spot on a New York street corner or tucked in an apartment: a Lox bagel with red onion and schmear, a row of metal mailboxes, and a canvas L.L. Bean tote filled with tennis balls. Some works are one-offs, like the tighty whities or payphone, and others form a small part of a larger composition.

      Kaminski’s medicine cabinet, for example, features four shelves filled with various over-the-counter treatments and prescriptions. The branding evokes decades past, and closer inspection reveals tiny price tags glimpsing a time when a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy didn’t bring quite as much pain at the cash register as it does today.

      The box of matchbooks is similar. Bearing names like Jerry’s and Odeon, the items recall classic New York restaurants, some of which have been operating for decades and others that closed their doors years ago.

      Currently, Kaminski is working on a pair of tube socks and preparing for an exhibition in early 2025. You can follow his latest sculptures on Instagram.

      Photo by Robert Bredvad

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      Maxwell Mustardo’s Fluorescing Ceramics Merge Ancient Craft with Contemporary Style

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      Group of vessels in the ‘Anthropophorae’ series. All images courtesy of Maxwell Mustardo, shared with permission

      Maxwell Mustardo’s Fluorescing Ceramics Merge Ancient Craft with Contemporary Style

      December 11, 2024

      ArtCraft

      Kate Mothes

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      Merging disparate reference points like cartoonish figures, fluorescent pigments, and classical vessels, Maxwell Mustardo’s Anthropophorae and Gadroons glow with personality. The New Jersey-based artist (previously) continues to revisit ancient forms that have been endlessly studied and reimagined over subsequent centuries, like amphorae, kraters, and gadrooning that celebrate tapered shapes.

      “Searching for new forms is mostly rediscovering old forms,” Mustardo tells Colossal. “One of my favorite aspects of ceramics, and the crafts more broadly, is the evolution of surfaces and forms through their constant appropriation in the aggressive exchange that occurs between individuals, studios, cultures, and time periods.”

      ‘Gadroons’

      The artist often turns to archetypes, from mugs and bottles to mathematical shapes—like the torus—to explore myriad relationships between geometry, material, history, and utility. He adds, “Each form provides various constraints that I can push around against and a web of references to tangle with.”

      Mustardo is currently working in the studio of the late Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011), helping the artist’s foundation to establish a residency program for ceramists, fiber artists, and painters. Find more on his website.

      “Orange Amphora”

      “Blue & White Krater”

      Detail of “Orange Mug”

      Installation view of ‘Quasi-Neoclassical-ish’ at Odem Atelier. Photo by Nikodem Calcyznski

      “Green Amphora.” Photo by Nikodem Calczynski

      Detail of “Blurple Mug”

      The artist in his studio in August 2024

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      Inside Miniature Dioramas, Flying Saucers Drift Across Extraterrestrial Landscapes

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      All images © A House of Wonders, shared with permission

      Inside Miniature Dioramas, Flying Saucers Drift Across Extraterrestrial Landscapes

      December 6, 2024

      ArtCraft

      Jackie Andres

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      Within the confines of a small, ovoid frames, Caroline Dewison, of A House of Wonders, crafts miniature scenes laden with remarkable detail. Building upon previous mystical vistas inspired by the woodlands surrounding her studio in Warrington, England, the artist’s most recent ventures forge a deeper path toward the otherworldly.

      Hovering above minuscule streams and valleys, UFOs contrast sharply against Dewison’s hand-painted nature scenes. The artist has been fascinated by the possibility of beings on other planets since childhood and continues to explore this speculation.

      “In my lifetime, it’s gone from there being just us to scientists finding hundreds and thousands of exoplanets, many with the possibility of life,” she explains. “I would like to think that we’re not alone.” Within each diorama, the flying saucers are cleverly affixed to jut outward from two-dimensional backgrounds, furthering a sense of depth.

      Along with revisiting her lifelong interest in the extraterrestrial, the artist has also rekindled her relationship with automata. She relishes problem-solving and the logistical aspects of constructing kinetic pieces, sharing, “I love working out how to create a moving piece of art and really enjoy engineering the mechanism to add life to my work.” As a result, the tiny UFOs make a dynamic appearance as well, rotating and drifting above foreign crop circles and thickets of pine.

      While Dewison still mainly works with laser-cut plywood, Jesmonite, acrylic paint, clay, and a 3D-printing pen, she is also working on constructing new designs for frames.

      A busy year is ahead of the artist. Dewison’s work is currently on view as part of Small Works | Big Impact at Momentum Gallery in Asheville, and later this month, her dioramas will be featured in the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Melbourne with Beinart Gallery. Find Dewison’s miniatures for sale in her shop, A House of Wonders, and keep an eye on Instagram for new work, upcoming shows, and more.

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