Mari Katayama’s photography uses her own body as one of her materials. Born with a rare congenital disorder, the artist had her legs amputated as a child, and at times, her sculptural work emulates the features of her body that the condition caused. The resulting work explores identity, anxiety, and other topics.
The illusionary works of Thomas Medicus include “What It Is Like to Be,” an anamorphic sculpture consisting of 144 hand-painted strips of glass that reveal new images when turned. Each of the strips were painted separate from another, and specifically, the new images are revealed when the piece is turned 90 degrees.
Carrying a mystical undercurrent, Chie Shimizu’s sculptures are rooted in an exploration of “the significance of human existence.” The artist, born in Japan and based now in Queens, New York, has crafted these riveting figures over the past couple decades, moving between different scales and textural approaches.
The solitary figurative sculptures of Frode Bolhuis are untethered to any one specific culture or frame of mind, existing at the convergence of generations and experiences. His use of textiles brings a more visceral connections to each of the subjects, and the vibrancy within each extends past the artist’s chosen hues.
In the hands of KT Beans, a seashell takes on unsettling qualities. The sculptor says she creates “oddities for humans of the future”: Teeth, eyes, and other human body parts and organs emerge out of unexpected places.
Masayoshi Hanawa’s intricate ceramic and resin creatures are pulled from the artist’s internal mythology. His creations are filled with mosaic-like detail, each corner of a monster a meticulously crafted and vibrant pattern.