Imagine a world where everyday objects morph into captivating sculptures, blurring the lines between function and artistry. This is the essence of Scottish artist Katie Rose Johnston’s, aka Manifesto, “Curiosity Clouds” collection. Inspired by a museum encounter with a seemingly ordinary termite mound, Johnston’s vision blossomed into a series of organic, cloud-like structures crafted from terracotta clay. But these are not your average ceramics; they are functional art pieces, whispering tales of the natural world and the treasures it holds.
Manifesto’s creative process is as intriguing as her finished products. Unlike artists who meticulously plan their creations, Johnston embraces an intuitive approach. The terracotta crank clay, with its coarse, earthy texture, becomes her canvas, mimicking the organic forms that ignite her inspiration. Recently, she’s taken her exploration a step further, incorporating wild elements like unsieved beach clay, flecked with pebbles and shimmering mica. This infusion of nature’s raw materials imbues her work with an almost magical quality, a testament to the interconnectedness of art and the environment.
Owning a piece of the “Curiosity Clouds” collection is like welcoming a fragment of the natural world into your home. Each sculpture, with its unique shape and subtle textures, beckons you to peer closer, to ignite your curiosity and spark your imagination. Whether displayed as a standalone art piece or used as a functional container, a “Curiosity Cloud” promises to be a conversation starter, a portal to a world where nature’s wonders meet artistic ingenuity.
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