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Art Craft

Lively Botanicals and Organic Forms Cloak Juz Kitson’s Ceramic Vessels in Dense Topographies

March 16, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a blush pink ceramic vessel covered with floral, fungal, botanical, and other organic forms

“You are stronger than you think, You are more than you know,” stoneware, raku, oxides, multiple glazes, fired multiple times, 77 x 39 x 37 centimeters. All photos by Simon Hewson, © Juz Kitson, shared with permission

Focused on movement and vitality, artist Juz Kitson sculpts supple vessels that harness the lively qualities of Earth’s landscapes. Densely packed with pieces mimicking flowers, fungi, moss, coral, and other organisms, the shapely works “feel like they are pulsating, giving inanimate material a spark of life,” Kitson tells Colossal. Medium and subject matter both nod to the natural process of regeneration and rebirth, with the “malleable, composite of Earth, water, and fire inherently (carrying) the imprint of memory.”

After many years of an itinerant practice that allowed her to travel frequently, Kitson settled in Milton, New South Wales, at the beginning of the pandemic. Given mass uncertainty and closed borders, she simultaneously had to shutter the studio she occupied for nearly a decade in Jingdezhen, China. Much of her work reflects a mélange of these two environments.

Often sculpted from Jingdezhen porcelain, the vessels are topographic and evoke the rugged coastlines and bush of the artist’s native Australia alongside the mountains and lush jungles of East Asia. “I have a deep fascination and attention to detail, constantly observing, exploring, walking through landscapes and creating visual mind maps of surfaces, layers, crevices, and abundant metamorphic forms that will later feed into the works I make,” she says.

 

Two photos of ceramic vessels covered with floral, fungal, botanical, and other organic forms, the left is black, the right is pink

Left: “All will reveal itself when you dive in and dive in deep, No. 3” (2022), black midfire clay, raku, stoneware, and oxides, 76 x 36 x 34 centimeters. Right: “An abundance of possibilities” (2022), raku, earthenware clay, and various glazes, 65 x 40 x 42 centimeters

Often monochromatic, many of the sculptures are glazed in a clear coat, blush, or black. The latter, especially on Kitson’s urn-like vessels, directly connects to the charred remains of Australia’s bush following the disastrous fires of 2019. At the time, the artist had just purchased her house and studio, which she refused to abandon despite mass evacuations. She shares:

I had just bought my first home, and here I was, standing protecting it by drenching it with a hose, watering my house and soon-to-be studio to protect it from the flames that were only three kilometers away…(I started) a series of funerary urns as a lament for the summer wildfires that devastated the landscape and has seen a region still mourning the loss of vegetation, homes, animals, and lives lost in which the pandemic overshadowed.

If you’re in Australia, there are several opportunities to view Kitson’s works in person, including a July solo exhibition at Sophie Gannon Gallery in Richmond, Victoria, and group shows at Craft Victoria opening in May, Hazelhurst Arts Centre in July, and Sydney Contemporary Art Fair in September. You can also find more on her site and Instagram.

 

A detail photo of a blush pink ceramic vessel covered with floral, fungal, botanical, and other organic forms

Detail of “You are stronger than you think, You are more than you know,” stoneware, raku, oxides, multiple glazes, fired multiple times, 77 x 39 x 37 centimeters

A detail photo of several ceramic wall pieces glazed in black and metallic

Detail of “When the sun comes out, the moon disappears, No. IV” (2022), Jingdezhen porcelain, stoneware, midfire, black stoneware, scava, raku, various glazes, lustre, fired multiple times, 70 x 84 x 15 centimeters

A detail photo of several ceramic wall pieces glazed in black

Detail of “When the sun comes out, the moon disappears, No. IV” (2022), Jingdezhen porcelain, stoneware, midfire, black stoneware, scava, raku, various glazes, lustre, fired multiple times, 70 x 84 x 15 centimeters

A detail photo of a black ceramic vessel covered with floral, fungal, botanical, and other organic forms

Detail of “All will reveal itself when you dive in and dive in deep, No. 3” (2022), black midfire clay, raku, stoneware, and oxides, 76 x 36 x 34 centimeters

A detail photo of several ceramic wall pieces glazed in white and a greenish hue

Detail of “The conditions of possibility” (2022), porcelain, stoneware, raku, various glazes, fired multiple times, 47 x 51 x 14 centimeters

Two photos of a ceramic vessel covered in organic forms that appear to crawl upward toward the top in a purple to pink gradient

A detail photo of ceramic, fungal forms glazed in maroon

A full photo and detail shot of a white ceramic vessel covered with floral, fungal, botanical, and other organic forms

“The Sanctuary; All That Is Monument” (2021), Jingdezhen porcelain and timber, 120 x 45 x 58 centimeters

A photo of a mixed-media work with feathers, ceramic, and glass hanging on a wall

“The Future is Your Ocean Oyster, No. II” (2023), Jingdezhen porcelain, reclaimed vintage rabbit fur coat, hand-formed Murano glass, Indonesian recycled building glass, hand-blown glass, resin, marine ply, and treated pine, 91 x 96 x 55 centimeters

 

 

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Craft Design Photography

Brilliant Botanical Cyanotypes Adorn Kellie Swanson’s Upcycled Garments

March 10, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a woman wearing a yellow turtleneck and overalls imprinted with floral cyanotypes

All images © Kellie Swanson, shared with permission

Artist and photographer Kellie Swanson imprints jackets, jeans, and other garments with the rich blue of cyanotypes—an early form of photography that uses UV light to produce monochromatic prints—as part of her burgeoning clothing line KSX. With grainy textures that complement the weave of fabrics, the brilliantly hued wearables feature natural specimens like ferns and flowers found around Swanson’s home in Bozeman, Montana. All of the garments are secondhand, and the artist sources most from thrift stores and vintage shops, ensuring KSX takes a more sustainable approach in an industry infamous for its waste.

Swanson began the upcycling project in 2020 as a way to re-engage her creative practice, and it’s since yielded several collaborations and collections, which sell incredibly fast. The next shop update is set for later this month, so keep an eye on Instagram to snag a piece.

 

A photo of a chore coat with the right side imprinted with floral cyanotypes

A photo of three pairs of jeans imprinted with floral cyanotypes

A photo of a woman wearing outside, holding flowers, wearing a tank top and jeans imprinted with floral cyanotypes

A photo of a woman lounging in a meadow wearing overalls imprinted with floral cyanotypes

A photo of a woman wearing a yellow tank top and pants imprinted with floral cyanotypes

A photo of a stack of jeans imprinted with floral cyanotypes

 

 



Illustration

Symmetric Flora and Fauna Converge in Kelly Louise Judd’s Dreamlike Paintings

February 9, 2023

Grace Ebert

A painting of two cats with ferns

All images © Kelly Louise Judd, shared with permission

Symmetry and mirroring inform many of Kelly Louise Judd’s paintings, which intertwine flora and fauna in delicate compositions. Ferns overlay the long tails of two cats, a lanky heron gracefully perches among bluebells and sunflowers, and human hands reach upward to reveal sprawling botanicals. Rendered on neutral-toned backdrops, the works evoke the patterns and organic recurrences found throughout the natural world.

Judd, who lives and works in the Midwest, generously shares glimpses into her process on Instagram, and you can shop prints of her pieces on Etsy.

 

A painting of a blue heron with flowers

A painting of a fox with ferns coming from a planter

A painting of a wolf surrounded by flowers

A paintng of hands reaching toward flowers

A pair of hands reaching toward flowers

A painting of flowers

 

 



Art

Leaves, Insects, and Human Anatomy Converge in Delicate Pencil Drawings by Amahi Mori

January 17, 2023

Grace Ebert

A drawing of a leaf and butterfly hybrid creature

“Papilio ulysses,” pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, 22.7 x 22.7 centimeters. All images © Amahi Mori, shared with permission

Through veins and hybridized beings, Japanese artist Amahi Mori connects life across the plant and animal kingdoms. Various circulatory systems blend together in seamless compositions with leafy greens emerging from a blue morpho or cloaking an elongated human hand. Rendered in graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor, Amahi’s delicate works center on the vibrancy of life conveyed through brilliantly patterned wings and supple leaves. Many of the drawings are also tinged with the otherworldly and surreal, particularly as human skin stretches to account for a growing stem.

Amahi has a solo exhibition slated for this May at Ginza Getsukoso Gallery. Until then, find an archive of her fused creatures on her site and Instagram.

 

A graphite drawing of a leaf growing from a human hand

“Daydream,” pencil and acrylic gouache on paper, 33.3 x 24.2 centimeters

A drawing of a leaf and butterfly hybrid creature

“Papilio xuthus,” pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, 15.8 x 22.7 centimeters

A drawing of a butterfly and leaf hybrid creature

“Sasakia charonda,” pencil, colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylic gouache on paper, 22 x 27.3 centimeters

A drawing of a leaf growing from a hand

“Metamorphose into leaf veins,” pencil, watercolor, and acrylic gouache on paper, 22 x 27.3 centimeters

A drawing of a leaf and butterfly hybrid

“Papilio machaon,” pencil and watercolor on paper, 14 x 18 centimeters

A drawing of a leaf growing from a hand

“Shining,” pencil, watercolor, and acrylic gouache on paper, 27.3 x 22 centimeters

A drawing of human arm with a plant growing from a wrist

“Hello, see you,” pencil, watercolor, and acrylic gouache on paper, 27.3 x 22 centimeters

 

 



Art

Textile Sculptures by Lauren Pruen Preserve Elegant Botanical Specimens Under Glass

December 9, 2022

Grace Ebert

A photo of a botanical sculpture in a cloche

All images © Lauren Pruen

Protected under tall glass cloches, Lauren Pruen’s botanical specimens sprout from root to bloom. The artist shapes thin strips of wire into tubers and stems that hold fabric florals, which she sometimes paints for variation in leaf color and added detail. Each delicate sculpture is an ode to natural life forms and the biological studies of centuries past, recreated as precious three-dimensional specimens worth preserving. Find more of Pruen’s ferns, lilies, and other works on her site and Instagram.

 

A detail photo of a botanical sculpture with roots connecting to an embroidery hoop

A photo of a botanical sculpture in a cloche

A photo of a botanical sculpture in a cloche

A photo of a floral botanical sculpture

A photo of a botanical sculpture in a cloche

A photo of a botanical sculpture in a cloche

A photo of a botanical fern sculpture

A photo of a clover sculpture

A photo of a botanical sculpture with lilies

 

 



Art Craft

Metal Sculptor Shota Suzuki Crafts Exquisitely Detailed Blooms That Express the Passing of Time

November 25, 2022

Kate Mothes

All images © Shota Suzuki, shared with permission

Tender stems bear lush blooms and windswept leaves gather around new growth in artist Shota Suzuki’s delicate metal sculptures. Rendered in painstaking detail, the forms are inspired by flora around his home and studio in Kyoto, such as Japanese maple trees and dandelions that have gone to seed. “Recently, I have been adding rain and wind to my work,” he tells Colossal, sharing that he’s inspired by the way nature demonstrates the passing of time. He adds silvery water droplets to ginkgo leaves, ruffles the petals of flowers, or portrays a branch of cherry blossoms as if it has blown from a tree.

An early interest in jewelry led Suzuki to study metalworking, and the exquisite detail of florals and foliage suited his ability to work on a small scale. A wide range of patinas create a life-like appearance, achieved by combining an array of chemicals that produce specific hues and textures, including traditional Japanese copper coloration methods such as niiro. “I don’t want to create works in which time stands still,” he says. “I want to express a moment in time.”

Suzuki’s work is included in Natural Mastery: Lacquer and Silver Works from Japan at Stuart Lochhead Sculpture in London from December 1 to 9. You can find more work on his website and Instagram.

 

A realistic sculpture of a tree sapling growing from dead leaves, made from metal.

 A realistic sculpture of flowers made from metal, photographed on a table.

A realistic sculpture of flowers made from metal.

A realistic sculpture of ginkgo leaves made from metal.

A realistic sculpture of a stem of cherry blossoms made from metal.

A realistic sculpture of dried leaves made from metal.

A realistic sculpture of gold ginkgo leaves with silver droplets, made from metal.