Ben Russell / The Cactus House

My plants have been keeling over left and right this winter, I think I’ve lost five so far. Maybe it’s time to turn towards something a bit sturdier – like Ben Russell‘s The Cactus House. His beautiful stone art pieces mimic the bold organic forms of cacti and aren’t sure to wither any time soon.

Honor Freeman

I doubt there’s a more fitting start to the new year than Honor Freeman‘s porcelain bars of used soap and sponges. Fresh starts, wiping the slate clean, and many other sentimentalities ring true as each of us hammers out just what it is we’d like to accomplish in the twelve months to come.

Noticing and quietly commemorating the smaller moments that are a constant rhythm of the everyday continues to be a preoccupation in my work. I seek to make visible the relationship between us and the objects we use, the gestures, mundane activities and humble objects, like small markers silently measuring the hours and marking the days. Thoughts of preserving, measuring and marking time’s passing occupy the work during the making. There is a correlation between actions and gestures used when engaging with objects and those used during the process of making that informs the work. Using the mimetic qualities of clay via the process of slipcasting, the work playfully interacts with ideas of liquid made solid due to the processes of making that are fundamental when working with clay. The porcelain casts become echoes of the original (object), the liquid slip becoming solid and forming a memory of a past form, the essence of an object. Small moments caught and made solid as if frozen in time – liquid made solid.

Fabio Viale

As of this moment Fabio Viale is absolutely one of my favorite artistic discoveries of 2017. Staying true to his Italian heritage, Viale adds an interesting twist to already stunning marble sculptures – intricate traditional tattoos. Full back pieces, covered hands, shoulders, and more. Have a look at his portfolio to see what else Viale can do with marble (hint: it’ll surprise you!).

Juliette Clovis

Juliette Clovis is a multi-disciplinary artist who focuses on the links between human and nature, the opposition between life and death, and the dialogue between tradition and modernity. Her exploration of female identity and the representation of women in contemporary society and its history is completely fascinating. The most recent porcelain female busts she’s created are completely transformed into hybrid beings, mixes of history, myths, and chimerical dreams.