Tag Archives: porcelain

A Toilet Bowl Full of Fruit: Urs Fischer at His Most Playfully Subversive

urs fisher toilet bowl with fruit photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

During my visit to Salon 94’s delightfully irreverent exhibition Shucks & Aww, one of the many stand out  pieces was : a pristine porcelain toilet bowl filled to the brim with bright, plastic fruit. Created by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, the work — simply titled Untitled (2015) — perfectly captures the exhibition’s mash-up of the raw, the refined, and the knowingly ridiculous.
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Pink Thing of the Day: Collectible Confections from the NYC Jewelry, Antique & Object Show

gravitas antiques pink brushes photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Over the weekend, I took a trip to the New York City Jewelry, Antique & Object Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion, where I was delighted to find  a booth from favorite vendor — a veritable shrine to the color Pink courtesy of Gravitas Antiques of Miami. Gravitas’ online presence may be minimal, but trust me: their eye for exceptional vintage objects speaks for itself.
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Eye On Design: Toad Sandwich Collectable Plate

jeff koons toad sandwich plate photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Designed by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan in collaboration with Seletti, this collectible porcelain plate with an image of a Toad Sandwich — pulled from the pages of Cattelan’s provocative, image-only magazine Toilet Paper — is just as charmingly absurd as the rest of the artist’s oeuvre.
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Translated Vase Series By Yeesookyung

translated vase series installation view photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Broken bowls and cups rarely invite a second glance. In the works of Korean artist Yeesookyung (b. 1963), ceramic shards are given new life, transformed into monstrous and imposing forms that resemble creatures from another planet as seen in her series of Translated Vases (20172024).

translated vase sculpture detail photo by gail worley
Sculpture Detail
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What are Traditional Japanese Tea Sets?

Japanese tea set black

Tea isn’t just a beverage; in many Asian cultures, it’s a cherished art form deeply woven into daily life. Nowhere is this truer than in Japan, where tea has been part of the nation’s traditions and hospitality since the 1100s.

The Japanese tea ceremony, in particular, is a solemn and beautiful ritual — far from casual teatime. In these ceremonies, hosts serve carefully prepared matcha using specialized Japanese teaware. And yes, a Japanese tea set is far more intricate than it might first appear. Continue reading What are Traditional Japanese Tea Sets?