'Contructures' by Roberta Massuch & Maria Eife
"This collaboration was a unique opportunity for us to identify common themes and ideas while creating new multidisciplinary works that challenged us to push beyond our existing craft-based studio practices. As the collaboration developed, we decided to focus on structure since both of our practices address this theme in unique ways.
Maria’s forms are inspired by structures in both the natural and built worlds, from fabrics to botanical specimens. Her work is equally driven by the exploration of the processes and materials used in the creation of form. She builds virtual objects with CAD software that are materialized using a combination of 3D printing technologies and handcraft. The objects may be cast in precious metals, dyed, and/or combined with other materials. The end goal is to create elegant, playful, and complex adornments for the body.
Roberta’s functional vessels and sculptural still lifes emerge from observations of the built space. Utilizing clay, concrete, plaster, and other materials, she looks to color theory and formal relationships to fabricate structural objects and groupings; color, light, and spacing create connections between two (or more) surfaces. Inextricably involved, the surface of one always affects the perception of another due to shifts in the intensity and direction of light covering the forms.
The result is a collection of architectural vessels that highlight both artists' approaches to structure. Roberta's porcelain vessels were created first, and Maria built the "scaffolding" in response using CAD and 3D-printed nylon. The forms are complimentary but the materials contrast each other in finish, weight and rigidity.
The vessels can be arranged in a sort of "city block", but there is also a playfulness to the work in that it can be rearranged endlessly, reminiscent of children's building blocks. "
'Tiny Pots' by Nuokan Huang
"I started making miniatures when I first moved to the United States. The limitation of studio access and the uncertainty of my personal future inspired me to make small-scale work. I was delighted to have found infinite possibilities and joy in creating tiny pots. My work has evolved from traditional functional forms into mini-landscapes. These landscapes form a personal space in which I am completely free to create and explore, escaping the chaos of daily life."
Bio: Nuokan Huang was born and raised in Shanghai, China. Graduated from Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in 2010 and started working on ceramics full-time in 2014. Moved to the United States in 2018 and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
