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      Folk Traditions, Quotidian Items, and Spiritual Symbolism Merge in Haegue Yang’s Sensory Sculptures

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      “Sonic Intermediates – Triad Walker Trinity” (2020), powder-coated steel and handles, casters, nickel and brass-plated bells, metal rings, plastic twine, turbine vents, artificial plants, pine cones, and foam. Photo by Nick Ash. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto, Mexico City / New York. All images courtesy of the artist, shared with permission

      Folk Traditions, Quotidian Items, and Spiritual Symbolism Merge in Haegue Yang’s Sensory Sculptures

      March 6, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      “Abstraction is not a…simplified way of thinking: it’s a leap—a leap into a dimension that cannot otherwise be understood,” says Haegue Yang, whose multimedia installations and sculptures explore a wide array of material associations, immersing the senses. Series such as Light Sculptures and Sonic Sculptures defy genres, often combining ready-made, mass-produced items with industrially created substances.

      At the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Yang’s solo exhibition Lost Lands and Sunken Fields engages viewers in a “dialectic of contrasts: light and dark, aerial and grounded, buoyant and heavy, spare and dense, interior and exterior,” a statement says. The show follows the artist’s first major survey in the U.K. at London’s Hayward Gallery, which embarked on a collage-forward celebration of work created during the past 20 years.

      “Frosted Scales Mermaid Queen – Mesmerizing Mesh #218” (2023), Hanji, washi, and origami paper on alu-dibond, framed, 24 3/8 x 24 3/8 inches. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto, Mexico City / New York

      Working between Seoul and Berlin, Yang hybridizes folk customs and craftsmanship, everyday items, and vernacular techniques in pieces that combine sculpture, installation, collage, text, video, wallpaper, and sound. “Sonic Intermediates – Triad Walker Trinity,” for example, coats steel frames in tiny bells, metal rings, plastic twine, and more, which evoke vaguely animalistic forms that move around on casters.

      Time and geography collapse in an abstracted visual language that merges the modern and the pre-modern, art history and literature, and themes of displacement, migration, forced exile, and global diasporas. Her works “link various geopolitical contexts and histories in an attempt to understand and comment on our own time,” says a statement from kurimanzutto, which represents the artist.

      The gallery also presents a concurrent exhibition titled Arcane Abstractions, including two-dimensional collage works complemented by an archival display of pieces by Mexican artisans. Yang continues to investigate cultural heritage and ritualistic symbolism through materials as she forwards “a proposal to live our lives today with a holistic view of mobility and technology, respect for spirituality, as well as contemplation on the resilient adaptability of both nature and humans,” says a statement. 

      Arcane Abstractions continues through April 5 in Mexico City, and Lost Lands and Sunken Fields runs through April 27 in Dallas.

      “Airborne Paper Creatures – Flutterers” (2025), birch plywood, wood stain, stainless steel components, Hanji, washi, origami paper, marbled paper, honeycomb paper balls, beads, metal bells, plastic crown flowers, parandy, Punjabi earrings and ornaments, stainless steel chains, split rings, steel wire ropes, and swivels, 47 3/4 x 22 x 25 1/2 inches, 21 3/4 x 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, and 36 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches (three parts). Photo by Studio Haegue Yang. Image courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center

      Detail of “Airborne Paper Creatures – Flutterers.” Image courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center

      Installation view of ‘Haegue Yang: Leap Year’ (2024). Photo by Mark Blower. Image courtesy of the artist and the Hayward Gallery, London

      Installation view of ‘Haegue Yang: Leap Year’ (2024). Photo by Mark Blower. Image courtesy of the artist and the Hayward Gallery, London

      “Aztec Underwater Wanderer – Mesmerizing Mesh #214” (2023), Hanji and washi on alu-dibond, framed, 24 3/8 x 24 3/8 inches. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto, Mexico City / New York

      “Radial Tousled Epiphyte” (2025), birch plywood, wood stain, acrylic board, powder-coated stainless steel wall mount, stainless steel components, Hanji, and marbled paper, 54 3/4 x 54 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches. Photo by Studio Haegue Yang. Image courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center

      Detail of “Radial Tousled Epiphyte.” Image courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center

      “Sonic Clotheshorse–Dressage #3” (2019), powder-coated aluminum frame, mesh and handles, casters, brass-and nickel- plated bells, split rings, 60 1/4 x 22 x 30 3/4 inches, and “Sonic Clotheshorse–Dressage #4” (2019), powder-coated aluminum frame, mesh and handles, casters, brass-and nickel-plated bells, and split rings, 50 1/4 x 19 1/4 x 33 3/4 inches. Installation view of ‘Haegue Yang: Emergence’ at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 2020. Photo by Craig Boyko, AGO

      “Aqua-Respirating Soul Sheet – Mesmerizing Mesh #263” (2024), Hanji, washi, and origami paper on alu-dibond, framed, 24 3/8 x 24 3/8 inches. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto, Mexico City / New York

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    • 150 Shares159 Views

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      From Porcelain Buttercream to Bruises, Jessica Stoller Examines the Gendered Body

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      Detail of “Seeing Red” (2024), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, 9 x 92 1/4 x 92 1/4 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W, shared with permission

      From Porcelain Buttercream to Bruises, Jessica Stoller Examines the Gendered Body

      March 5, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      The early 1780s produced a medical training tool that today seems unusually macabre and unsettling: the Anatomical Venus. A waxen model with real human hair and strings of pearls around her neck, the reclined figure appeared incredibly realistic, although pulling back the plate on its abdomen or chest revealed a series of internal organs and systems.

      As Ian Shank writes, modern viewers see the Anatomical Venus as discordant given the tension between the figure’s idealized beauty—and its inherent sensuality—and its function as an educational model.

      “Untitled (crown)” (2021), porcelain, glaze, china paint, wood, 24 x 16 x 2 inches. Photo by JSP Art Photography

      Jessica Stoller takes this dissonance as a starting point in “Seeing Red,” a floor-based sculpture of more than 150 individual ceramic objects. Atop the square tableaux are oversized white orbs that overshadow the mottled pink base. Fragmented body parts, seashells, leaves, a bent coat hanger, snakes, pottery shards, and more spread throughout.

      Reflecting on the continued push to strip protections for bodily autonomy in the U.S., “Seeing Red” separates the female form into distinctive parts and places them at the lowest position possible. As the oppressive pearls loom over the rest of the components, the unnerving work directly challenges who has a right to self-determination and control over their body.

      The grotesque and disturbing play an important role throughout Stoller’s practice as she frequently incorporates human anatomy with porcelain and ceramic traditions. “Untitled (close up #3),” for example, features delicate pink and purple blossoms that frame what appears to be a series of large, purple bruises.

      Similarly, “Untitled (sugar still life)” comprises a sweet spread that stretches across an elaborate display. Tucked in the seemingly saccharine work, though, are unsavory elements like a skeletal hand reaching from piped ribbons and medical devices stabbed into various confections.

      “Seeing Red” (2024), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, 9 x 92 1/4 x 92 1/4 inches

      Rebelling against patriarchal priorities, Stoller continually confronts romanticized notions of the body through surreal, even monstrous compositions. Instead, her works are bold and unabashed as they examine the feminine figure, rooting out stereotypes and historical injustices while emphasizing the potency of the unseemly.

      Many of the works shown here are on view in New York for Stoller’s solo show Split, which continues through April 5 at P·P·O·W. Find more from the artist on Instagram.

      Detail of “Seeing Red” (2024), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, 9 x 92 1/4 x 92 1/4 inches

      “Skin to Scale” (2023), porcelain, glaze, china paint, wood, 22 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches

      “Untitled (close up #3)” (2020), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, wood, 19 x 15 x 2 inches

      “Silphium” (2024), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, 19 x 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches

      “Yellow Wallpaper” (2025), porcelain, glaze, china paint, wood, 23 x 17 1/2 x 3 inches

      “Untitled (sugar still life)” (2018), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, enamel, and wood, 60 x 36 x 22 inches. Photo by JSP Art Photography

      Detail of “Untitled (sugar still life)” (2018), porcelain, glaze, china paint, lustre, enamel, and wood, 60 x 36 x 22 inches. Photo by JSP Art Photography

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    • 150 Shares179 Views

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      Biological Cells and Chinese Ceramic Traditions Coalesce in Shiyuan Xu’s Porcelain Sculptures

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      “Hybrid #7” (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19 x 9.5 x 15 inches. All images courtesy of Shiyuan Xu, shared with permission

      Biological Cells and Chinese Ceramic Traditions Coalesce in Shiyuan Xu’s Porcelain Sculptures

      March 3, 2025

      ArtCraftNature

      Kate Mothes

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      From seeds to the world’s smallest organisms, the inspiration for Shiyuan Xu’s porcelain sculptures (previously) originates in biology. Fascinated by the patterns, shapes, and structures of a wide variety of creatures, the artist creates intricate interpretations of cells, the essential building blocks of all life forms.

      Working meticulously with porcelain Paperclay—a mix of clay and cellulose fibers—and glaze, Xu sculpts webbed, amorphous forms that appear amoeba-like, as if expanding and contracting. She is deeply influenced by the work of Scottish mathematical biologist D’Arcy Thompson (1860–1948), whose seminal book On Growth and Form traces the scale and shapes of living things.

      “Hybrid #9” (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19 x 8.5 x 21.5 inches

      A “diagram of forces” is how Thompson described the form of a specimen. For Xu, this dynamic evaluation shapes how she translates micro life forms into her work. “It is about movement, time, and space,” she says. “It records the way they move and grow; the way they react to the surrounding environment by interacting, altering, evolving and adapting to generate infinite new forms.”

      Xu views the history of porcelain as deeply intertwined with her own memories and identity, and she often employs a classic Chinese ceramic color palette in her pieces. The irregular structures and ombre colors reference the artist’s personal experiences. She says:

      Being an outsider in America for the past decade, my experience offers me a new perspective to reflect my own cultural heritage… The repetitive and labor-intensive process serves as a therapeutic response to the challenges of my experience in navigating dual cultures. My pieces are in many ways like living organisms, a metaphor for the evolving nature of life itself, and my own journey and roots.

      If you’re in London, you can see Xu’s work in a small exhibition dedicated to Chinese contemporary studio craft at the V&A, and her work will be included in a handful of forthcoming juried exhibitions in Portugal, Italy, and Missouri. Find more on her website.

      “Blue Vein #15” (2024), colored porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 23 x 10 x 15 inches

      Detail of “Blue Vein #15”

      “Vena Celadon #5” (2025), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 24 x 9 x 14.5 inches

      Detail of “Vena Celadon #5”

      “Hybrid #6” (2023), colored porcelain Paperclay, and glaze, 23 x 11 x 10.5 inches. Photo by Guy Nichol

      “Hybrid #5” (2023), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 20 x 11 x 17 inches. Photo by Guy Nichol

      “Hybrid #8” (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19.5 x 8.5 x 16.5 inches

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    • 175 Shares129 Views

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      In a Retrofitted School Bus at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Guadalupe Maravilla Heals Through Vibrations

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      All images from the Art21 “New York Close Up” film, “Guadalupe Maravilla’s ‘Mariposa Relámpago,’” © Art21, shared with permission

      In a Retrofitted School Bus at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Guadalupe Maravilla Heals Through Vibrations

      February 26, 2025

      ArtFilm

      Grace Ebert

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      Guadalupe Maravilla’s multi-disciplinary practice is rooted in a simple premise: sound is medicine.

      The artist is known for works that merge sculpture, performance, instruments, and healing, one such project being the elaborately retrofitted school bus titled “Mariposa Relámpago.” Part of Maravilla’s Disease Throwers series, the large-scale coach is devoid of bench seats and ubiquitous yellow paint and instead features an open cab lined with chrome panels. More than 700 found objects adorn its body, from cutlery and a worn pair of sandals to large gongs. More

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      A Monumental Immersive Installation by ENESS Prompts Joy and Togetherness

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      “Forest Dancer.” All images courtesy of ENESS, shared with permission

      A Monumental Immersive Installation by ENESS Prompts Joy and Togetherness

      February 24, 2025

      ArtDesign

      Kate Mothes

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      A nine-meter-tall passageway made of eight individual arches enticed visitors into ENESS’s latest installation (previously). Last month at Quoz Arts Fest 2025 in Dubai, Forest Dancer comprised a monumental entry and an immersive exhibition of illuminated inflatable forms inside a contemporary building.

      With mushroom-like proportions, pixellated patterns, and a slew of changing hues, ENESS’s work encompasses a central character surrounded by psychedelic trees, mountains, insects, and boulder-like bean bags.

      “As artists, we work in many contexts—inside galleries and museums, in (the) public realm and even creating small art pieces for the home,” said ENESS founder Nimrod Weis. “This approach of ‘art is everywhere’ means that we responded to the inspiring architecture by creating an artwork that is at once a conversation with the built form and an installation in its own right.”

      This year’s festival was curated around the theme of an Arabic proverb meaning “a hut holds a thousand friends,” inspiring creative responses that center bringing people of all ages together and promoting interactivity.

      A statement says, “The entire exhibition, spanning over 600 square meters, is an ode to the power and importance of creativity in the face of online obsession, geopolitical upheaval, and the rise of dark forces taking us far from the soulfulness of art, human connection, and gentle contemplation,” says a statement.

      Find more on ENESS’s website.

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    • 163 Shares179 Views

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      Vibrant Brushstrokes Float in Resin Cubes in Fabian Oefner’s Sculptural Ode to Painting

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      All images courtesy of Fabian Oefner, shared with permission

      Vibrant Brushstrokes Float in Resin Cubes in Fabian Oefner’s Sculptural Ode to Painting

      February 24, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Frozen inside blocks of clear resin, a series of swirling, gestural brushstrokes appear to float midair. Fabian Oefner is no stranger to the polymer substance, which can be poured into a mold in a liquid form and cured into a solid. In his latest series, Volumen, the artist transforms paint strokes into physical objects with dynamic dimensionality.

      Oefner’s practice has often focused on the nature of gravity and motion, suspending objects in physical sculptures or photographing vehicles and machines in the style of exploded diagrams. He sometimes deconstructs items like cameras or sneakers, reassembling them in puzzle-like compositions (previously).

      The artist has always been fascinated by the textural quality of paint, especially in the work of Abstract Expressionists who emphasized gestural motions, mark-making, and spontaneity—or at least the appearance of it. Oefner says:

      For me, experiencing works like de Kooning’s “Door to the River” or Pollock’s “Lavender Mist” has always been as much a tactile experience as a visual one. These paintings are almost like sculptures to me. What I am doing is removing the canvas entirely and lifting the paint into space, making its physicality completely tangible.

      Find more on the artist’s website.

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    • 138 Shares119 Views

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      A Miniature Musical Curio Shop by Chris Millar Spins Like Clockwork

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      Detail of “Mirthful Miscellanea” (2024), resin, acrylic paint, brass, steel, aluminum, electronics, and wood, 22 x 60 x 16 inches. Photos by Jacques Bellavance. All images © Chris Millar, shared with permission

      A Miniature Musical Curio Shop by Chris Millar Spins Like Clockwork

      February 21, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      After he graduated from art school, Chris Millar (previously) worked in a toy store for seven years. “The shop, now defunct, was called Livingstone and Cavell Extraordinary Toys in Calgary, Alberta, Canada,” he tells Colossal. The store carried classics like tin wind-ups, electric trains, dolls, miniature soldiers, and teddy bears.

      Millar’s latest extravagantly detailed work was one-and-a-half years in the making and takes inspiration from the joys of toy shops and flea markets. He incorporates resin, acrylic paint, brass, steel, aluminum, electronics, and wood into elaborate kinetic spectacles. Every part of is made from scratch with the exception of a few gears.

      “Mirthful Miscellanea” channels an imaginary, fantastical curio shop run by two brothers named Wade and Snyder. “Their portraits can be seen in a few areas of the sculpture,” Millar says. “Wade is an expert in medieval musical instruments and roast chicken, and Snyder in antiquarian circus paraphernalia.”

      The piece follows in the footsteps of a work titled “Eclipse at Arc Valley” that incorporates a clockwork mechanism, but this new sculpture further elaborates on the design with a more complex mechanism and a base that emits sound from a music box, two gongs, and six bells.

      Millar expresses a fondness for mom-and-pop shops and quirky destinations that have found it increasingly difficult to continue operating in our era of online global commerce. The inspiration for the sculpture “is a counter to the homogeneity that our internet-based culture bestows on us,” he says.

      The artist is represented by TrepanierBaer, and you can wander more miniature imaginary worlds on the artist’s website.

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    • 125 Shares199 Views

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      From Tiny Strips of Cardboard, Greg Olijnyk Fashions Fantastical Monuments

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      All images courtesy of Greg Olijnyk, shared with permission

      From Tiny Strips of Cardboard, Greg Olijnyk Fashions Fantastical Monuments

      February 21, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Greg Olijnyk is no stranger to the possibilities of a single, seemingly simple material. In his ever-evolving world of robots, machines, insects, and buildings, cardboard proves endlessly versatile. He meticulously cuts, folds, and glues tiny pieces to resemble everything from rivets and windows to columns and balustrades.

      The Melbourne-based artist’s most recent works play with unexpected juxtapositions, like a classical cathedral dome with the base of a missile, a gothic tower fitted with jet propulsion boosters, and a lighthouse on a ship being guided through a craggy canal. Find more on his website and Instagram.

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