Put your imaginary glasses on to reimagine a world of possibilities with curiosity as your guide 🌸 🍦 🍩

Shout Animation Studio and I joined forces to bring this three part mini series to life and showcase how a creative process is always an open invitation for all of us to wonder, celebrating each unique human and how everyone's way of perceiving the world has value.

This project was possible thanks to the creative imput and Animation Skills of Daniel Del Risco from Estudio Shout, Animation Studio in Costa Rica

Original photo taken by Shannon Tofts Photography back in 2015 featuring:

1– 'Champagne Twirl', 'Cacatúa' & 'Message in a Bottle' from the Ode to Intuición Series (2013-2015)

2– 'The Cristobal Columbus' La PInta, La Niña y La Santa María' from the Ode to Intuición Series (2013-2015)

3– 'Hotencia’, ‘Tall Macaw’ & ‘Lila Cascade’' from the Ode to Intuición Series (2013-2015)

www.estudioshout.com

@estudioshout

@danieldelrisco

@shannontofts

By Juli Bolaños-Durman

NHS Lothian Charity Tonic Arts loan to the Scottish Parliament

Project Commissioned by NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts programme for The Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The artist’s largest installation to date, in partnership with GRAS Architects.

What inspired Our Common Humanity?

'We are part of a great community that supports one another - No matter where we come from, no matter what we have been through.' Juli Bolaños-Durman

One of the main objectives for this commission was engagement with psychiatric patients through art workshops at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and for these interactions to inform the development and outcome of the art piece.

During the workshops, it was important as a facilitator to get to know the participants and be present. After much observation, what stood out for me, was the importance of the everyday elements of human interaction - The shared exchange; such as a smile and the simple ritual of a cup of tea - This was like a comfort-giving hug in the space, creating moments in which we could all connect and build a support system. 

These human exchanges emphasize the importance to all of us, of being heard, supported and embraced.

Our Common Humanity; is a play of glass and light. It is shaped by community engagement with art and highlights the very basic human need of connection.

Our Common Humanity - The making of the work

Every glass piece is brought to life by deconstructing discarded glass, which has been collected and donated by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital Community. I have reconfigured the elements through play and embellished the decadent layers using local heritage hand-cutting techniques. Playing with light brings the beautiful shadows to life whilst manifesting the magic of a second chance. In the end, each piece is a poetic act of rebellion; a resilient rebel that embodies a symbol of hope.

Through my work, I invite the audience to delve into a magical world of second chances, where waste material is the starting point. I create raw pieces that are put together intuitively through the joyfulness of play, exploring different discarded materials from the bin, with ideas to challenge the boundaries of art and its meaning. I’m interested in how this visceral bond between the maker, community and material permeates the creative process, guiding it to become something raw and precious at the same time. These final sculptures and their shadows honour the instinctual need to create something with our hands, and how this act of making, connects us to an unlimited source of joy that brings comfort and elevates. 

Most importantly, I want the work to be testimony to our ever-changing journey: powered by trials and errors, vulnerability, and imperfection. Our daily interactions matter and each one of us has the power to make life better; with the support of the people around us and the community we foster.

Bolaños-Durman is known for revitalising waste material by applying various heritage cold-working processes. Her practice is driven by a genuine concern for sustainability and connecting the pressing message of the potential of second chances through the work. This series represents an opportunity to demonstrate both the traditional skills and artistic vision required to breathe new life into discarded objects; inviting people into this imaginary world where everything is possible.

Notes: Juli Bolaños-Durman

Photography: Shannon Tofts & Laura Meek

The lightboxes were designed by GRAS Architects for the artist.

About GRAS Architects:

www.gras.co

GRAS is a Scottish design studio, formed in 2006 as part of the established conservation practice Groves-Raines Architects Ltd.

‘We aim to produce progressive, sustainable and ambitious design solutions through thorough research and the rigorous analysis of any given brief. Our work is driven by an intuitive, yet highly responsive approach rather than a predetermined style and we strive to achieve levels of excellence in all of our work, irrespective of project budget, client or brief. We look to push the boundaries of what is typically understood as architecture, often entering the fields of product design, graphics, audio visuals and art.

We adopt an inventive but reflective attitude to design, always looking forwards but mindful of the past. Working in parallel with conservation experts we understand the significance and value of our built heritage and traditional crafts. We see quality in traditional design, materials and crafts that is often lacking in contemporary buildings: solidity, permanence, proportion, hierarchy, human scale and timelessness and we seek to explore these qualities in our contemporary work. At the same time, we seek to embrace opportunities afforded by emerging technologies, materials and techniques and strongly believe in the value of collaboration with craftsmen, artists and designers.’

Owner of artwork:

Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation

Commission information:

Commissioned by Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation for The Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The artist’s largest installation to date, in partnership with GRAS Architects.

BOSS BOTTLED 25 Commission

LEGACY

25 Years of an iconic fragrance

2023 is the 25th anniversary of the launch of the original BOSS BOTTLED Eau De Toilette – The perfect opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with what has become a modern icon of the changing faces of ‘masculinty’, explore the reasons behind the scent’s extraordinary legacy, and explain the phenomenon of perfumed time travel.

The book was designed as a celebration of the legacy and cultural impact of the iconic fragrance as relevant now as the day it debuted.

BOSS BOTTLED is a quintessencial fragrance in men’s grooming routines. The iconic, timeless scent is a tribute to innate sophistication, designed for the many facets of the contemporary man.

CULTURE – 25 ARTISTS CELEBRATE BOSS BOTTLED

25 CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS and INTERNATIONAL TALENTS were given carte blanche to create an interpretation of BOSS BOTTLED throughthe prism of their signature voice and style.

PUBLISHER– BOSS

CONCEPT, CURATION, DESIGN & PRODUCTION– COMPANY, PARIS

CREATIVE DIRECTION– EDOUARD RISSELET AT COMPANY

PRODUCTION DIRECTION– JIM SCHACHMES AT COMPANY

ART DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN– ARTHUR TEBOUL ZAïANE

PHOTOGRAPHY– JARO MIKOS. EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

Juli Bolaños-Durman x The Farm Shop

Edinburgh & Grymsdyke Farm

Summer 2023

Spirited Waste III embodies this experimental dialogue between unwanted objects collected from the local community, the artist’s personal library of glass collected from around the world and Grysmdyke Farm’s rich material archive. 

These three-dimensional portraits of courage, come together to materialise into spirited beings; driven by a courageous act of compassion and reinvention.

The objects created are inherently imprinted by the farm's ethos of communal and collaborative approach and how these essential connections between the rawness of design processes, making and situation guide them into becoming authentic objects depicting their place of origin and time.

Furthermore, Juli’s one week visit to the farm with her portable hand-cutting lathe, informed the mark-making inspired by the walks through the field of beautiful wild flowers mixed with wonderful sculptures from previous architecture students. The constant reference to structures and how the problem solving of the Farm is mostly through an architectural lens, guiding the artist into being influenced by this and therefore, imprinting the collection.

By giving breathing space to waste material, these have a chance to become anew with lots of capability for charm and depth. The ultimate purpose is to invite a shift in our perception on the potential of the waste and how we can reimagine it into something of beauty.

Series of 10 sculptures –

Materials: Found Glass with hand cut-details inspired by the Farm, Discarded Copper Wire and objects collected from Grymsdyke Farm's workshop and its surroundings.

Measurements:

Smallest – 28H x 30W x 11D cm

Biggest – 43H x 27W x 18D cm

Photography: George Baggaley & Jaro Mikos

Fels Presents

The Farm Shop

Curated by Marco Campardo, Guan Lee and Luca Lo Pinto

16 September – 15 October 2023

209 Brompton Road

London, SW3 2EJ

Grymsdyke Farm is a research facility, fabrication workshop and living-working space with a particular interest in the essential connections between processes of design, making and situation. Through its communal and collaborative approach, this is a place where people can exchange ideas, working methods, and expertise.

Over the summer of 2023, each designer was invited to partake in a residency on the farm and utilise the facilities to produce one element of a dining collection. Thinking about the relationship of people and the spaces they live in, the designers examine how setting and community inform design and how it connects us to the people and places around us.

The outcomes are direct engagements with the farm’s local community and material palette and explore where the things around us come from and how we can care for them. Functioning as an interactive space for visitors to engage, the exhibition presents the collection for the first time and celebrates the conviviality of the objects we live with.

Exhibiting Designers:

Theodóra Alfreðsdóttir

Laëtitia Badaut Haussmann

Nathalie Bagnoud

EJR Barnes

Juli Bolaños-Durman

Marco Campardo

Sammi Cherryman

Daniel Dewar & Grégory Gicquel

Miranda Keyes

Guan Lee

Jessie Lee

Andu Masebo

Jaclyn Pappalardo

Parti Nicola Pecoraro

Michael Schoner

Tino Seubert

TBA

Studio Thus That

Lorenzo Vitturi

Jamie Wolfond

Photography courtesy of Fels World and Gymsdyke Farm

Photography by: George Baggaley & Andy Stagg

• POWERFUL ORDINARY BONDS •

Juli Bolaños-Durman at Bard Scotland

Latest portraits taken of the Powerful Ordinary Bond Series curated by Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens from Bard Scotland. Photographed by Hal Haines & Edvinas Bruzas ⭐️ 2022

'The use of these seemingly arbitrary materials was a reaction to the designer’s experiences during the lockdown and the realization of the importance of the support systems around her, of which these materials are a symbol. By presenting them in this way she imbues them with new significance and status'

'The disparate objects in the Powerful Ordinary Bonds series are, quite literally, connected; thrashed together using rubber bands and copper wire in a making process that is intuitive and impulsive and joyful. The connections represent a visceral bond between the maker, material and locality'.

You can still visit the experience online: dutchinvertualsacademy.nl

Method Studio, the creative directors of the project, worked closely with the Vacheron Constantin team to develop a concept dubbed the Provenance Collection: a multi-disciplinary craft commission bringing together some of Edinburgh’s finest artisans, and inviting them to create new works for the Maison’s light-filled boutique on Frederick Street.

Chalk Plaster, Araminta Campbell, Juli Bolanos-Durman, Hazel Frost and Method Studio drew inspiration from the themes of time, origin, provenance and exploration, and the incomparable craftsmanship of Vacheron Constantin’s master watchmakers, using a variety of materials and mediums, forms, skills, and techniques – some ancient, some innovative – to bring the brand’s creed: One of Not Many, to life.

As well as developing, creatively directing and managing the project, Method Studio worked closely with longtime collaborators the Edinburgh Film Company and photographer Shannon Tofts to create an atmospheric series of short films and a package of WIP and studio photography to elegantly communicate the project; writing an evocative copy for press and PR, and worked with Graphic designers Because We Kan to design and produce a beautiful hard-bound book.

Harewood House presents exhibition of "traditionally untraditional" Christmas trees

Long Live the Christmas Tree, an exhibition of unconventional Christmas installations, has opened at Harewood House in West Yorkshire, England.

The country house invited 11 artists, designers and makers to create "traditionally untraditional" Christmas trees that draw from the history and resources of the country house and its estate.

The results include tree-like installations made from materials including deer antlers, carnival costumes and weeds.

Each is on show within a different room inside Harewood House, creating playful juxtapositions with the lavish decoration of the historic interiors, which date back to the 18th century.

Commissioned Artists –

Swallows & Damsons

Phoebe McElhatton

Juli Bolaños-Durman in Collaboration with Jonny Taylor

Meriel Hunt

Andy Singleton

Ashley Karrell

Galvin Brothers

Simon Costin

Opera North x Martin Green

Hughbon Condor

Yasemen Hussein

Fels join Mayfair Design District with a new group exhibition exploring the progression of industrial design through processes of construction and assembly.

As part of London Design Festival’s 20th anniversary, Fels have joined Mayfair Design District’s glistening roster to present a group exhibition in the heart of Soho Square. Focusing on the development of industry, the exhibition explores assemblage techniques through intriguing applications of material collage, stripped-back functionality and legacy objects.

Industrial aesthetics and materials are borrowed and placed in contemporary contexts with works going beyond their functional requisites to celebrate the influences of Industrialism on the practices of contemporary designers working today. Vastly differing examples of design relating to industrial assemblage are shown through works constructed in Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and home.

Exhibiting designers

Arnaud Eubelen. Danny Lane. David Gates. Helen Carnac. Juli Bolaños-Durman. Pierre Castignola. Tejo Remy. Raphael Kadid. Wendy Andreu.

Kravitz Contemporary

17 Soho Square

London

W1D 3QJ

Photography: George Baggaley

A collaboration between

Juli Bolaños-Durman x Aivaras Simonis 

Edinburgh, UK.

Feb. 2022

This film was commissioned by North Lands Creative, as part of the UK in Japan 2019-20 bilateral campaign, a partnership between British Council Scotland and Creative Scotland.

Supported by project partners Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Toyama Glass Art Museum and Museum of Arts and Design, New York.

The Premiere is part of the “Glass, Meet the Future” Film Festival 2021”

Produced by Rusty Coin Production and Daniel Del Risco Animation.

This film was developed at the end of 2020 when there were many of the COVID restictions in place and projects were being delayed | canceled alltogether. It was a stressful time for all, so in the meantime, my graphic designer mind wanted wanted to document a different side to Our Common Humanity, while it awaited being installed at the Scottish Patliament Building in 2021.

I USED TO BE… invites a wider audience to connect with the artworks remotely since travel worldwide came to a halt. The film invites the audience to wonder where each of the components was gathered from and their previous lifes, and how the light bring these objects to life.

But most importantly, I wanted to convey the power of transformation when we show curiosity, grace and compassion to our surroundings. In this case, the discarded glass was telling us what they were in their past lives and showed us their enlivend version of themselves, standing proud with mended breaks and all, creating even more endearing objects full of character and sass.

Each and every scuplutre from this commission tells a story of courage and embodies that intangiable magic of a second chance.

The installation OUR COMMON HUMANITY was commissioned by NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts programme for The Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

The artist’s largest installation to date, in partnership with GRAS Architects ( project lead — Jan Hajek ) and would no have been possible without their support.

Edinburgh, Scotland

2016-2021

www.julibd.com

Juli Bolaños-Durman collaborated with Studio Walac to⁠ create ‘The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment’, a new series of 12 one-of-a-kind lighting sculptures. ⁠

⁠

“The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment series springs from a desire to decorate our homes with beautiful and joyful objects.”⁠

The collection invites audiences to wander into a world of fantasy – a departure from the usual representations of lighting. The Isles of Reclaimed⁠ Wonderment come to life using locally found glass that has been collected, rescued and gifted over the years, alongside graphic wood cutouts.⁠

⁠

The French and Costa Rican duo have worked together to assemble these pieces, transforming waste material into fantastical and functional pieces. Composed of piled glass towers, bottle-buildings and fluted loops, reminiscent of fun fairs and abstract scientific devices, each piece has a unique⁠ topological personality.⁠

⁠

“Stepping into her studio was like stepping into a candy and jewellery store all at once. Her focus on rescuing and highlighting the world’s lost and fallen beauties is incredibly fascinating. While our work met on a playful angle, she definitely shed some colours and light on my darkness, for the better.”⁠

~ Walac on Bolaños-Durman⁠

⁠

“When I see her work, I am energised. Her approach to design⁠ is fresh and authentic and makes everyday furniture fun and⁠ unexpected.” ⁠

~ Bolaños-Durman on Walac⁠

⁠

⁠

–⁠

⁠

The Future of Home by @localheroesdesign is curated by @stacey_hunter_edi. Opens 18-26 September, 6-7 Thurloe Place, Brompton Quarter, South Kensington. This exhibition is made possible with the support of the National Lottery through @creativescots⁠

Photography: Matt Gonzalez-Noda & Jaro Mikos

London Design Festival

18–26 September 2021

—

Brompton Design District

6–7 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RX

The Future of Home by Local Heroes is a showroom for London Design Festival 2021 celebrating Scotland’s contemporary design scene. Part of the prestigious Brompton Design District, designers from 15 studios and brands that embody Scotland’s dynamic design culture, have been invited by curator Stacey Hunter to exhibit new work in a special collection marking five years since the first Local Heroes exhibition. ⁠⁠

At a time when we are experiencing an increased fluidity between our home and our workspace, The Future of Home offers a fresh take on modern interiors. Over 40 new products, from furniture and lighting to textiles and collectible craft have been brought together to create spaces of comfort and style that also reflect the hybrid needs of flexible working. ⁠

Designers have used the past 12 months to innovate, speculate and dream – the results are a vision of a future where interiors are fun, beautiful, and tactile. A platform for critical discussion, and acquisition, the exhibition presents product launches from a new generation of designers.⁠

Bespoke Atelier

C. A. Walac

Chalk Plaster

Hilary Grant

Instrmnt Applied Design x Hame

James Rigler

Jeni Allison

Mirrl

Myatt-McCallum

Nicholas Denney Studio

Pavilion Pavilion

Simon Harlow

Studio Sam Buckley

Urpflanze

Walac x Juli Bolaños-Durman

This exhibition is made possible with the support of the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

Photography: Ruben Paris & Matt Gonzalez-Noda

2014

'Queen Bishop, Juana La Cubana, Aubergine Esmeralda, Faberyé, Sombrero Lila' from the Ode to Intuición Series were acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (MUDAC) Collection in Lausanne, Switzerland @mudaclausanne

Spotted by the curator of the Museum while on exhibition at The Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass 2014, Coburg, Germany.

It was a lovely surprise to hear that the pieces from my graduate collection were heading to this fantastic contemporary collection.

The set of 5 pieces were mounted on a Carara Marble Box and presented as a whole.

Lausanne, Switzerland. 2014

Photography by Shannon Tofts

This month we unveil an evolving curation of Scottish design housed in the personal office of the First Minister

Feature by Stacey Hunter for The Skinny| 26 Jun 2019

We’re delighted to see an exciting project announced this month that has been unavoidably delayed by the B word. There is admittedly more than one B word now, so to be clear, the Brexit one. As we approach two years of this regular design column, it is hugely encouraging to see our endeavours recognised with an invitation to curate a collection of contemporary design and craft at not only the Scottish Parliament, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s personal office. The opportunity to see a selection of Scotland’s most interesting, innovative and well-crafted design sharing display space with some of the most important artefacts of our modern political times is a powerful reflection of the strength of Scotland’s vibrant design industry.

The room is smaller than you might expect, but with pale concrete walls, understated furniture upholstered in Bute fabric, and floor-to-ceiling windows, it is a subtle yet elegant setting for receiving important guests and displaying our first collection. The ten pieces of work we have selected represent the best of contemporary Scottish creativity. To be rotated on a rolling six month basis, the pieces will act as talking points for visitors and guests of the First Minister.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Scotland is home to world class artists and designers and I’m proud to be able to support the sector through the Local Heroes project. I welcome visitors from both home and abroad and across the public and private sectors to my office at Parliament and it’s a privilege to help raise the profile of Scotland’s exceptional design expertise. The initial collection has already been positively received, with well-deserved praise from visitors. I look forward to welcoming further collections in the future.”

From fine ceramics, glass and furniture to high tech jewellery and product design engineering, this initial collection demonstrates that Scotland is at the forefront of innovation and a producer of the highest quality design and craft. Pieces include: the minimal, sleek design of Glasgow based Instrmnt’s A-12 clock, Skye-based Patricia Shone’s raku fired pot, inspired by the landscape around her, and Jonathan Pang’s precision engineered lightweight standing Phloem Lamp in maple and richlite. Colour and painstaking technique come to the fore with handmade pieces by Edinburgh’s Juli Bolaños-Durman’s and Frances Priest. Bolaños-Durman’s trio of delicate glass vessels and Priest’s Gathering Places mosaic-like bowl are jewel-like in their intricacy and craftsmanship.

Andreu Carulla Studio and Jennifer Gray have both designed and made conceptual pieces that employ the use of tactile materials like aluminium and jesmonite. Lynne MacLachlan’s 3D printed nylon neckpiece demonstrates that high-tech design can embody timeless elegance. Gabriella Marcella’s Balancing Act illustrates design’s playful side while Natalie J Wood’s minimalist yet functional Detsu water carafe can be enjoyed by the First Minister’s visitors and guests in a practical way.

The collection provides an opportunity to promote the industry, process, place and people behind Scottish design. As a changing collection it is intended to be an evolving environment that demonstrates Scotland’s diverse, modern and world class design community.

Clive Gillman, Director of Creative Industries, Creative Scotland, said: “This collection not only celebrates the richness of design practice in Scotland today, it also demonstrates the range of ideas and origins that form Scotland’s design community. From technical sophistication to spectacular aesthetics, this work reflects the wealth of ideas and the breadth of influences that exist in Scotland today. Emblematic of Scotland’s desire to be understood as an open, contemporary, creative place.”

Designer Juli Bolaños-Durman said: “This is a great opportunity to not only showcase the level of contemporary craftsmanship and design in Scotland, but more importantly, using this direct platform with decision-makers to highlight the importance of creativity on wellbeing, fostering joyfulness and the future of education; moving forward from the knowledge-based to a more dynamic non-traditional learning, fostering collaboration, empathy, values and problem solving. I believe creating a space for play, thinking with our hands and fostering joy is vital.”

The First Minister’s Local Heroes collection is made possible with the support of the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and will be exhibited within the First Minister’s personal office at The Scottish Parliament.

The collection can be viewed online at localheroes.design

TRUE MATTER | JULI BOLAÑOS-DURMAN | DUTCH INVERTUALS ACADEMY 2020

'The use of these seemingly arbitrary materials was a reaction to the designer’s experiences during the lockdown and the realization of the importance of the support systems around her, of which these materials are a symbol. By presenting them in this way she imbues them with new significance and status'

'The disparate objects in the Powerful Ordinary Bonds series are, quite literally, connected; thrashed together using rubber bands and copper wire in a making process that is intuitive and impulsive and joyful. The connections represent a visceral bond between the maker, material and locality'.

You can still visit the experience online: dutchinvertualsacademy.nl

Photography Jaro Mikos www.cojaro.co

| JULI BOLAÑOS-DURMAN | DUTCH INVERTUALS ACADEMY 2020

'The use of these seemingly arbitrary materials was a reaction to the designer’s experiences during the lockdown and the realization of the importance of the support systems around her, of which these materials are a symbol. By presenting them in this way she imbues them with new significance and status'

'The disparate objects in the Powerful Ordinary Bonds series are, quite literally, connected; thrashed together using rubber bands and copper wire in a making process that is intuitive and impulsive and joyful. The connections represent a visceral bond between the maker, material and locality'.

You can still visit the experience online: dutchinvertualsacademy.nl

Photography Jaro Mikos www.cojaro.co

DUTCH DESIGN WEEK | OCT 2020

25 young design professionals from all around the world joined the first Dutch Invertuals Academy this Summer, exploring the theme TRUE MATTER

During Dutch Design Week 2020 we present the processes and results of this intensive 6-week program.

‘True Matter’ shows an expression of the global shift from a careless to a caring attitude.

Participants were challenged to work with raw materials from their local context and to play with their surroundings. Not only in terms of resources but also in terms of techniques, craftmanship, politics and traditions.

Because designers joined from Colombia to Israel and from Thailand to Chile, the exhibition sheds a light on a diversity of local identities and gives us insight into what truly matters globally.

Experienced designers from our vast Invertual network guided participants through this inspiring journey by sharing their knowledge in a wide range of workshops, lectures, and meetings:

Raw Color, Mieke Meijer, Xandra van der Eijk, Philip Fimmano,

Jólan van der Wiel, Niek Pulles, Nina van Bart, Jeroen Wand, Bram Vanderbeke, Tijmen Smeulders, Dienke Dekker, Edhv / Architects of Identity, Daphna Laurens, Carlo Lorenzetti, Julian Ellerby and Wendy Plomp.

Visit the digital experience from October 17–25, 2020.

www.dutchinvertualsacademy.nl

and www.dutchdesignweek.nl

-----------------------

Note for press:

For more information contact Esther Severijns via

esther@dutchinvertuals.nl.

List of participants:

Ananya Patel (India)

Andrea Michael de la Peña Aguirre (Mexico)

Beau Weber (USA)

Billy Ernst (South Africa)

Carolina Pacheco Glen (Chile)

Daniel Blacher (South Africa)

Elly Nielsen (Denmark)

Halah Al Juhaishi (Iraq / France)

Jesse Kiemeneij (the Netherlands)

Juli Bolaños-Durman (COSTA RICA / UK)

Kawisara Anansaringkarn (Thailand)

Laura Casañas Maya (Colombia)

Maria Gracia Ego Aguirre (Peru)

Nicky Vollebregt (the Netherlands)

Sabrina Manasap (the Netherlands)

Steeven Macal (Guadeloupe)

The Architecture Story (India)

Tal Preger Galili & Sahar Kedem (Israel)

Walter Mingledorff (USA)

Wen Zhan (China / Hong Kong)

OCT 2020

'Bird of Paradise' from WILD FLOWER Collection purchased by National Glass Centre (@nationalglasscentre) for its permanent collection in Sunderland, UK.

‘The collection represents work by the finest national and international artists working in glass. I believe that your work should be included in the collection as it is both beautifully made and conceptually relevant. There is currently a definite movement towards the use of recycled / re-purposed materials by artists and your practice exemplifies this approach’ -Julia Stephenson, Head of Arts at National Glass Centre.

Ave del Paraíso, alongside two further examples of your work provided on loan, will be displayed in Spring 2021 as part of a joint DESIGN LAB NATION project with the Victoria & Albert Museum (@vamuseum) London. The project aims to encourage young people to consider careers in the creative industries and will have a focus on re-purposing materials.

‘Wild Flowers’ Collection by Juli Bolaños-Durman (2019)

The project was developed with the support of Jorum Studio (@jorumstudio), Edinburgh based perfumers.

Photography by Shannon Tofts

Photographic Series

Glass sculptures from the Wild Flower Collection made in collaboration x Jorum Studio seen through Gabriela Silveira’s perspective and next to the stunning Pyrus Botanicals💥

Edinburgh, UK. 2019

jorumstudio.com

gabrielasilveira.co.uk

pyrusbotanicals.com

When pieces of abandoned glass are transformed by hand-cut details and are paired up with a wild flower.

Collaboration with photographer Gabriela Silveira and the stunning Pyrus Botanicals.

gabrielasilveira.co.uk

pyrusbotanicals.com

‘Wild Flowers’ Collection. Juli Bolaños-Durman

Collaboration x Jorum Studio

Currently On Show-

‘Re.Use, Re.Think, Re.Imagine’

Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset

19 Oct 2019 – 1 Jan 2020
England, UK.

Photography: Shannon Tofts

Films: ZAC and ZAC

Edinburgh, 2019

'A Costa Rican artist and designer based in Scotland, Bolaños-Durman is incorporating lighting in her work for the first time; MUSINGS- a canopy of intricate glass flowers that unearth the process of transforming ordinary objects into art.

The five winners of the sixth Jerwood Makers Open are showing off their projects from June 28 to August 27. Marcin Rusak, Juli Bolaños-Durman, Laura Youngson Coll, Jessica Harrison and Sam Bakewell were selected from 271 submissions at the end of 2016, and granted £7500 each to materialise new projects that stretch their oeuvre.' 

Originally created for Jerwood Makers Open 2017, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

Photo Credits-  Anna Arca (detail shots), Hydar Dewachi (opening night) and Shannon Tofts (studio shots).

Re.Use, Re.Think, Re.Imagine

19 Oct 2019 – 1 Jan 2020

Photography: Emma Lewis

The exhibition presents the work of seven UK-based experimental artists and makers, whose practice explores unique responses to materials and process. The group exhibition will feature new and existing works, spanning glass, ceramics, found objects, textiles and furniture. Whether repurposing, recycling or innovating, each of the makers are challenging traditional conceptions of craft and functional design. Visitors will journey through a reimagined material landscape, from Juli Bolaños-Durman’s multifaceted glass sculptures to Charlotte Kidger’s 3D polyurethane foam hybrids and Lola Lely’s ‘Potluck’ solid timber stool series. At the core of the makers’ shared vision is an interrogation and consciousness of materials, whilst continuing to employ conventional techniques and methods. The exhibition provides an opportunity to consider our future craft heritage, whilst reflecting on the makers’ awareness of material use and our changing urban and rural environments.

Makers featured within the exhibition include: Juli Bolaños-Durman, Aimee Bollu, Gavin Keightley, Charlotte Kidger, Lola Lely, James Shaw and Alice Walton.

Juli Bolaños-Durman

Luxurious hand-cut details transfigure abandoned glass in Juli Bolaños-Durman’s series of multifaceted sculptures, inviting the viewer to delve into an enchanting world of second chances, repurposing found objects and transforming them into precious artefacts. The sculptures embody the rich, raw and bountiful aesthetic of wild flowers and the natural environment we are surrounded by. Bolaños-Durman is known for facilitating the transformation and reimagining of waste material, driven by an ever increasing concern for the quantity of waste we produce as consumers. The works on view were conceived by deconstructing discarded glass, reconfiguring the elements through play and embellishing through decadent layers of hand-cut details.

Aimee Bollu

Aimee Bollu is a collector, an assembler of materials and a creator of hybrid objects. She responds to the overlooked and under-appreciated, highlighting their inherent qualities and challenging our preconceptions. Working exclusively with disregarded objects combined with ceramics, she sees infinite potential in the combinations of colours, surfaces and textures. Bollu’s objects delight in the possibilities of the permutations and the surprise in the simultaneous presentation of materials. Through incorporating found elements and newly made ceramic vessel forms, the disregarded items become meaningful once more and possess a new value.

Gavin Keightley

Gavin Keightley is a designer-maker with a passion for process-led design. His enthusiasm for making was born from a strong belief in developing manual skills, investigating unexplored and undervalued methods to reveal new and innovative results. Each project begins with a lengthy experimental phase, celebrating the journey of making and encouraging an understanding for the importance of hand-made design. For the exhibition, Keightley will present a collection of furniture cast in Jesmonite, with components made using moulds fabricated from food: a cabinet constructed with couscous, stools with legs made from layers of sliced bread and tops formed with mashed potato and agar jelly.

Charlotte Kidger

Charlotte Kidger’s practice has focused around utilising plastic waste streams associated with CNC fabrication. As a by-product after the milling process, a lightweight polyurethane foam dust is left in abundant volumes with no means of disposal, other than through incineration or landfill. Kidger set out to find ways of utilising and repurposing this problematic material. Through rigorous and playful experimentation and a unique material combination, Kidger has achieved a durable and versatile composite material that has the capabilities to be cast in diverse 3D forms of various sizes. The simple forms seen within this body of work derive directly from the industrial environments in which the materials were sourced, placing the focus on the material itself which was previously so easily discarded.

Lola Lely

Storytelling, heritage and a respect for craft are fundamental elements in Lola Lely‘s work, whilst continuing to experiment with colour, material, form and space. For this exhibition, Lely has taken inspiration from the traditional Korean technique, known as Bojagi, which involves the configuration of randomly sized scraps of ramie cloth to form larger patchwork textile artworks. Handwoven pineapple cloth is combined with smaller pieces of hand-stitched and naturally dyed off-cuts from the same cloth. Dyed using elements such as iron, weld, madder and walnut husk, these geometric compositions are evocative of landscapes. In addition to the textile artworks, Lely will be presenting a collection of her ‘Potluck’ stools series. Turned on a very large lathe the ‘Potluck’ stools are made from solid timber. Once the stool bases are formed, Lely works in a similar way to a painter, using the stools as three-dimensional canvases. The result is a unique handcrafted object that combines form with function.

James Shaw

James Shaw runs a design studio in London working on projects that interrogate the material, systemic and formal approaches to the creation of objects. His investigations have attempted to challenge the notions of waste, reassess the materials we currently use and attempt to originate materials, including an entirely new plant-based mouldable bio-plastic material. For this exhibition, Shaw will present several strands of investigation, including the ‘Swivel Party’ project, a series of chairs based on the typology of the office swivel chair. The series uses a palette of materials directly borrowed from this typology – polyurethane foam, rubber, faux leather, chrome and aluminium. Shaw’s ongoing series, ‘Plastic Baroque’ presents a unique approach to dealing with this extremely pervasive substance, turning it from an industrial material into something altogether stranger and more compelling. The works are titled ‘Plastic Baroque’ both for the formal relation they have to pieces from the Baroque era but also in their attempt to reconnect with the sensual realities of the world around us and the fecund reality of nature.

Alice Walton

Alice Walton works with coloured clay throughout its evolving plastic states, aiming to highlight the meditative process of the material whilst exploring the complex surface textures. In a world that is increasingly changing minute by minute Walton attempts to slow down through the process of making, allowing the structures to steadily evolve, brick by brick, pin mark by pin mark. Her work is about a consideration of the everyday, taking time to notice the unseen objects in our environment and re-evaluate them. Her latest ceramic work incorporates a fascination for pedestrian street objects and investigating how they can transcend into unusual and extraordinary objects, forming a new abstract landscape.

Costa Rican photographer Greg James (@yrogreg) from @latajaditacr and I got together back in December 2019 and took some still life photos.

It was fun to put together these scenes with a bit more of a Costa Rican flavour using one of my glass sculptures and plants, authentic table cloths and natural textures selected by the talented Greg. By merging our two perspectives, this is the product of our conversation.

www.latajadita.com

Dec 2019

CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS

‘1 Exhibition of monumental proportions, 60 years

in the making, 100 contemporary artists’

Corning, New York

May 12, 2019 – January 5, 2020
Contemporary Art + Design Galleries

9 am – 8 pm daily, May 24 – Sept 2, 2019
9 am – 5 pm daily, September 3, 2019 – January 5, 2020

New Glass Now gives voice to a new generation of artists and designers who are harnessing the possibilities of glass to respond to our complex contemporary moment. Though just the tip of the iceberg, these 100 pieces are an introduction to the incredible diversity of contemporary glassmaking and thinking. From technically masterful vessels to experiments in the chemistry of glass, these works challenge the very notion of what the material of glass is and what it can do. This is the present tense of contemporary glass. This is New Glass Now.

In 2018, the Museum launched an open call for submissions to artists and designers from around the world, asking for works made in the last three years. Anyone working in glass could apply, and all—from the novice hobbyist to the most famous artists—were given equal consideration. Over 1,400 individuals and companies submitted nearly 4,000 images. To choose the works in New Glass Now, the Museum asked a panel to review the submissions and select 100 artworks representative of the diverse approaches to glassworking today. This exhibition is the result of their varied perspectives and experiences.

SELECTORS

Beth Lipman
Artist
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin

Susanne Jøker Johnsen
Head of Exhibitions
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Schools of Architecture, Design, and Conservation
Copenhagen, Denmark

Aric Chen
Curator-at-Large
M+, Hong Kong SAR, China

Susie J. Silbert
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass

Exhibited with Local Heroes: Designs on Parliament June 2019

from ‘Ode to Intuición’ Series

Materials: Hand Cut Ceramics and Glass (found & blown glass objects).

Dimensions: 9 x 9 cm, 30 x 16cm, 6 x 7 cm & 6 x6 cm

This month we unveil an evolving curation of Scottish design housed in the personal office of the First Minister

Feature by Stacey Hunter for The Skinny| 26 Jun 2019

We’re delighted to see an exciting project announced this month that has been unavoidably delayed by the B word. There is admittedly more than one B word now, so to be clear, the Brexit one. As we approach two years of this regular design column, it is hugely encouraging to see our endeavours recognised with an invitation to curate a collection of contemporary design and craft at not only the Scottish Parliament, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s personal office. The opportunity to see a selection of Scotland’s most interesting, innovative and well-crafted design sharing display space with some of the most important artefacts of our modern political times is a powerful reflection of the strength of Scotland’s vibrant design industry.

The room is smaller than you might expect, but with pale concrete walls, understated furniture upholstered in Bute fabric, and floor-to-ceiling windows, it is a subtle yet elegant setting for receiving important guests and displaying our first collection. The ten pieces of work we have selected represent the best of contemporary Scottish creativity. To be rotated on a rolling six month basis, the pieces will act as talking points for visitors and guests of the First Minister.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Scotland is home to world class artists and designers and I’m proud to be able to support the sector through the Local Heroes project. I welcome visitors from both home and abroad and across the public and private sectors to my office at Parliament and it’s a privilege to help raise the profile of Scotland’s exceptional design expertise. The initial collection has already been positively received, with well-deserved praise from visitors. I look forward to welcoming further collections in the future.”

From fine ceramics, glass and furniture to high tech jewellery and product design engineering, this initial collection demonstrates that Scotland is at the forefront of innovation and a producer of the highest quality design and craft. Pieces include: the minimal, sleek design of Glasgow based Instrmnt’s A-12 clock, Skye-based Patricia Shone’s raku fired pot, inspired by the landscape around her, and Jonathan Pang’s precision engineered lightweight standing Phloem Lamp in maple and richlite. Colour and painstaking technique come to the fore with handmade pieces by Edinburgh’s Juli Bolaños-Durman’s and Frances Priest. Bolaños-Durman’s trio of delicate glass vessels and Priest’s Gathering Places mosaic-like bowl are jewel-like in their intricacy and craftsmanship.

Andreu Carulla Studio and Jennifer Gray have both designed and made conceptual pieces that employ the use of tactile materials like aluminium and jesmonite. Lynne MacLachlan’s 3D printed nylon neckpiece demonstrates that high-tech design can embody timeless elegance. Gabriella Marcella’s Balancing Act illustrates design’s playful side while Natalie J Wood’s minimalist yet functional Detsu water carafe can be enjoyed by the First Minister’s visitors and guests in a practical way.

The collection provides an opportunity to promote the industry, process, place and people behind Scottish design. As a changing collection it is intended to be an evolving environment that demonstrates Scotland’s diverse, modern and world class design community.

Clive Gillman, Director of Creative Industries, Creative Scotland, said: “This collection not only celebrates the richness of design practice in Scotland today, it also demonstrates the range of ideas and origins that form Scotland’s design community. From technical sophistication to spectacular aesthetics, this work reflects the wealth of ideas and the breadth of influences that exist in Scotland today. Emblematic of Scotland’s desire to be understood as an open, contemporary, creative place.”

Designer Juli Bolaños-Durman said: “This is a great opportunity to not only showcase the level of contemporary craftsmanship and design in Scotland, but more importantly, using this direct platform with decision-makers to highlight the importance of creativity on wellbeing, fostering joyfulness and the future of education; moving forward from the knowledge-based to a more dynamic non-traditional learning, fostering collaboration, empathy, values and problem solving. I believe creating a space for play, thinking with our hands and fostering joy is vital.”

The First Minister’s Local Heroes collection is made possible with the support of the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and will be exhibited within the First Minister’s personal office at The Scottish Parliament.

The collection can be viewed online at localheroes.design

Tales of A Universal Goddess is a tribute, a light-hearted piece, a subtle allegory to that Unique Divine Femininity. With this I want to celebrate that Intuitive Strength that comes from generations of all the women that came before us.

Carol is the main character of this story. She is One and All at the same time, all of us, that Universal Goddesses. With this video, I want to invite the viewer to get a glimpse into Carol's personal dance of joy while carefully curating what she wears, having a bit of fun and play around with the different combinations to see which one looks best depending on the persona she wants to portray that day.

LINK TO VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/233284349

Animation: Diego Almazán de Pablo

Edinburgh, UK 2017

Title: Ode to Intuición Series
Theme: Exploring preciousness and play through the construction of non-functional vessels.
Medium: Found, Blown and Engraved Glass. 
City / Year: Edinburgh, UK 2013 
Photography: Shannon Tofts
Price Upon appreciation


The primary theme within my creative process is the exploration of preciousness and how intuitive play jumpstarts the creation of new ideas within the studio practice. Preciousness is not only the value or quality of the materials themselves but more so the journey of transformation they represent. I find myself favoring and treasuring objects that act as storytellers and constitute experiences that are a link to emotional connections. Therefore, it is essential for the creative process to give the artwork the same significance, disregarding where it came from or how it was constructed. I want to create raw pieces that are put together sensibly through the joyfulness of play, explore the different materials to create new meaning and invite the viewer to become part of the journey. This is how the ‘Ode to Intuición’ Series of 60 non-functional / sculptural vessels came to life.
 

Mr Abhishek Basu, Executive Trustee Basu Foundation & Mrs Husna - Tara Prakash, Owner of The Glenburn Penthouse Kolkata invite you to Introduce the works developed over the artist’s month-long residency of the Costa Rican Glass artist Juli Bolaños-Durman over High Tea.

APPARITIONS- MAN IS NOT THE CENTRE Collection is the materialization of intercultural dialogue between mystical India and a Costa Rican Artist based in Scotland.

Saturday 23rd February 2019

Photography- Vivian Sarky

Kolkata, India

This month we unveil an evolving curation of Scottish design housed in the personal office of the First Minister

Feature by Stacey Hunter | 26 Jun 2019

We’re delighted to see an exciting project announced this month that has been unavoidably delayed by the B word. There is admittedly more than one B word now, so to be clear, the Brexit one. As we approach two years of this regular design column, it is hugely encouraging to see our endeavours recognised with an invitation to curate a collection of contemporary design and craft at not only the Scottish Parliament, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s personal office. The opportunity to see a selection of Scotland’s most interesting, innovative and well-crafted design sharing display space with some of the most important artefacts of our modern political times is a powerful reflection of the strength of Scotland’s vibrant design industry.

The room is smaller than you might expect, but with pale concrete walls, understated furniture upholstered in Bute fabric, and floor-to-ceiling windows, it is a subtle yet elegant setting for receiving important guests and displaying our first collection. The ten pieces of work we have selected represent the best of contemporary Scottish creativity. To be rotated on a rolling six month basis, the pieces will act as talking points for visitors and guests of the First Minister.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Scotland is home to world class artists and designers and I’m proud to be able to support the sector through the Local Heroes project. I welcome visitors from both home and abroad and across the public and private sectors to my office at Parliament and it’s a privilege to help raise the profile of Scotland’s exceptional design expertise. The initial collection has already been positively received, with well-deserved praise from visitors. I look forward to welcoming further collections in the future.”

From fine ceramics, glass and furniture to high tech jewellery and product design engineering, this initial collection demonstrates that Scotland is at the forefront of innovation and a producer of the highest quality design and craft. Pieces include: the minimal, sleek design of Glasgow based Instrmnt’s A-12 clock, Skye-based Patricia Shone’s raku fired pot, inspired by the landscape around her, and Jonathan Pang’s precision engineered lightweight standing Phloem Lamp in maple and richlite. Colour and painstaking technique come to the fore with handmade pieces by Edinburgh’s Juli Bolaños-Durman’s and Frances Priest. Bolaños-Durman’s trio of delicate glass vessels and Priest’s Gathering Places mosaic-like bowl are jewel-like in their intricacy and craftsmanship.

Andreu Carulla Studio and Jennifer Gray have both designed and made conceptual pieces that employ the use of tactile materials like aluminium and jesmonite. Lynne MacLachlan’s 3D printed nylon neckpiece demonstrates that high-tech design can embody timeless elegance. Gabriella Marcella’s Balancing Act illustrates design’s playful side while Natalie J Wood’s minimalist yet functional Detsu water carafe can be enjoyed by the First Minister’s visitors and guests in a practical way.

The collection provides an opportunity to promote the industry, process, place and people behind Scottish design. As a changing collection it is intended to be an evolving environment that demonstrates Scotland’s diverse, modern and world class design community.

Clive Gillman, Director of Creative Industries, Creative Scotland, said: “This collection not only celebrates the richness of design practice in Scotland today, it also demonstrates the range of ideas and origins that form Scotland’s design community. From technical sophistication to spectacular aesthetics, this work reflects the wealth of ideas and the breadth of influences that exist in Scotland today. Emblematic of Scotland’s desire to be understood as an open, contemporary, creative place.”

Designer Juli Bolaños-Durman said: “This is a great opportunity to not only showcase the level of contemporary craftsmanship and design in Scotland, but more importantly, using this direct platform with decision-makers to highlight the importance of creativity on wellbeing, fostering joyfulness and the future of education; moving forward from the knowledge-based to a more dynamic non-traditional learning, fostering collaboration, empathy, values and problem solving. I believe creating a space for play, thinking with our hands and fostering joy is vital.”

The First Minister’s Local Heroes collection is made possible with the support of the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and will be exhibited within the First Minister’s personal office at The Scottish Parliament.

The collection can be viewed online at localheroes.design

By Juli Bolaños-Durman

Presenting a series of glass sculptures developed through an intercultural dialogue between mystical India and a Scotland-based Costa Rican artist.

During the 12th edition of the Arte Laguna Prize, Costa Rican artist Juli Bolaños-Durman was selected as the winner of the Art Residency offered by Basu Foundation for the Arts in Kolkata, India. The residency undertaken in January 2019 gave Juli the chance to enhance her interdisciplinary practice by drawing inspiration from India’s vibrant culture and developing professional connections that helped her to create a new body of work informed by this experience. 

The eclectic cultural program of the Basu Foundation Residency allowed her to develop new directions in her artistic process. By collaborating with the Karwaan Design Project and local glass craftsmen from the Firozabad community (which has 500 years of Persian glass tradition), together they produced a series of conceptual glass sculptures that embody this cultural exchange. Aspects of their interaction that were lost in translation have contributed to an exciting and unexpected expression of new insights. 

Juli added a poetic layer of significance to the glass objects inspired by the foundation’s Palace. The artist was encouraged to wonder about the people that used to live there, as well as about their relationships with each other and this building, full of history and magic. Furthermore, she has managed to achieve a fresh visual narrative by uniting both her playful yet profound vision and the spirit of the place. 

Juli’s diverse experience at Basu Foundation can be easily linked to the core of her artistic statement: ‘I want to create raw pieces that are put together sensibly through the joyfulness of play, and explore different materials and ideas to challenge the boundaries of art and its meaning’. 

For Juli Bolaños-Durman, the residency in India has been an enormous opportunity to learn, discover and enrich her artistic practice. Not only to develop a new body of work, but also to step out of her comfort zone and foster interesting partnerships for future collaborations. 

Sponsored by the Basu Foundation, in partnership with Arte Laguna Prize.

Photo Credits: Vivian Sarky 2019

Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters

23 March – 1 September 2019

Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds, LS17 9LG

Photo Credits: Jonty Wilde & Charlotte Graham

www.harewood.org

“Why are we so interested in craft today?” is the question the inaugural Harewood Biennial seeks to answer when it launches at Harewood House in March 2019 and opens a vibrant new season at the Yorkshire stately home.

The first exhibition of the Harewood Biennial is Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters, which aims to challenge preconceptions, spark interest and inspire debate about the role craft can play in culture, identity and society. At a time when there is a surge of interest in craft, (from the supermarket to the catwalk) there is also confusion – is it a product or a process? Is it always handmade? Is it just a marketing buzzword?

Visitors to Harewood, Leeds, will experience a visual treat across the House by some of the most exciting British-based makers of the moment. Each invited to interpret a different room, the twenty-six exhibitors work both nationally and internationally and span fashion, textiles, woodwork, glass, metalwork, furniture, papercraft and leather.

Highlighting Yorkshire’s wealth of skilled talent, five of the twenty-six exhibitors showcased are based in Yorkshire. Distinguished names include Wakefield-based paper artist and illustrator Andy Singleton, Sheffield-born ceramicist Lena Peters and Whitby glass maker, Effie Burns, rubbing shoulders alongside statement printmaker Anthony Burrill, Welsh sustainable denim-makers Hiut Denim, whose jeans are worn by Meghan Markle, Freed dance shoes and the Emily Blunt-sporting Fox Umbrellas.

Curated by design critic Hugo Macdonald, the exhibition crosses generations and disciplines, mixes classic and contemporary and uses Harewood House as a platform to showcase and question the very definition of skill and craft today. Harewood House itself is renowned for the craftsmanship that built and furnished it in the 18th century, using the most skilled architects, designers and makers of the time including Chippendale, Robert Adam and Capability Brown.

“This is one of our most ambitious projects to date,” comments Jane Marriott, Harewood House Trust Director. “Together with a wider programme of workshops, demonstrations, symposia and events, Useful/Beautiful will be a fully immersive and visually striking exhibition for the first six months of our season, across all rooms in the House and extending outside, offering a vibrant and playful new perspective and experience for visitors.”

In addition, there will be three exciting new commissions for Harewood by renowned British designers, each showcasing craftsmanship in a different way and specific to the House. These are due to be revealed in February 2019.

A full programme of weekend events, participatory workshops and more will be added to the website www.harewood.org as tickets are released.

From  the  Ode  To  Intuición  Found  &  Blown  Glass  transformed  and  embellished  through  heritage  cutting  techniques  and  Illustration.  Edinburgh.  2018-  Ongoing 

Each  one  of  the  sculptures  from  the  Ode  to  Intuición  Series  has  a  personality  and  cheeky  character,  I  wanted  to  illustrate  this  with  a  further  exploration  called  'Studio  Chat'. 

I wanted  to  introduce  you  to  Queeny.  She  was  originally  baptised  'Queen  of  the  Night'  (Reina  de  la  Noche  in  Spanish)  because  these  were  her  Mom's  favourite  flowers  from  when  she  grew  up  in  the  tropics.  But  the  whole  name  sounds  too  serious  for  her,  so  she  prefers  to  be  called  by  her  nickname.  Queeny wants to become a dancer when she grows up because  she  is  usually  caught  by  the  latin  tunes, she is swayed by the music  and  can't  stop  herself  from  having  a wee cheeky dance every time. 

Photography: Shannon Tofts (2014)

Collaboration with Spanish film-maker Diego Almazán de Pablo

HUMMINGBIRD from the Solace Collection

Series of vessels of remembrance. When developing this idea, I started to look into Lachrymatories: the tiny glass or terracotta vessels, found Roman and late Greek tombs. It is believed that these vessels were used to collect tears when mourning a love one. I find this as a very symbolic and endearing concept to honour the deceased.

Solace Collection: series of bespoke objects- by repurposing found glass and blown pieces transformed and embellished through heritage cutting techniques to create an objet d’art. Each embodies and pays homage to special ideas or souls in our lives. 

Dimensions: 39 x 18 cm, 40 x 18 cm & 41 x 17 cm approx.

Shannon Tofts Photography

'Tales of A Universal Goddess' ⠀
Small-Scale Lighting Sculpture⠀
⠀
After many outfit changes (previous animation post), Carol decided to go for this ensamble to celebrate the occasion and the fully come to life using light. ⠀

⠀
It is a light-hearted piece but in the end it is a subtle allegory to that Unique Divine Femininity and the Intuitive Strength that comes from generations of all the women that came before us.⠀

Let me introduce you to Carol. She is one of the many universal goddesses that I wanted celebrate with this project. With this animation I want to invite the viewer to get a glimpse into Carol's personal dance when carefully curating what she wears and the lighting sculpture captures that frozen moment in time.⠀
⠀
Juli Bolaños-Durman⠀
Lighting Sculpture: Found & Blown Glass with Cutting, aluminium lighting and concrete. H46 x D22 x W22cm
Photography: @shannontofts⠀
Edinburgh, UK 2017••• Después de muchos cambios escogiendo el atuendo perfecto, Carol se decidió por esta combinación de colores y haciéndole tributo al Dios de los Soles

Wallpaper Design for Jaco&Co. 

I’m so excited to share my latest collaboration with interior Designer Jaco Justice for ‘Slurp at the Kirk’ Restaurant in Edinburgh City Centre.

This is one way how my visual explorations can be applied in different ways and in a much bigger scale. I can’t wait to explore more with this application and design some more of these.  

Work born of collaboration at @customlane  #ConnectCollaborateCreate

Photography by Laura Meek

@jacoandco 

@slurrrpkirk

@itslaurameek

Series of 19 of the headdresses from made-up civilizations.

Found & Blown Glass with cutting

24 x 26 cm approx. each

Photography: Shannon Tofts

2016. Edinburgh

The Made-Up Museum of Artefacts Series was inspired by precious heritage objects from historical civilizations, their craftsmanship and cultural legacy. This subject has captivated my imagination and motivated me to appropriate the theme and develop a poetic juxtaposition of the different ideas to construct made-up precious objects through exploratory play. Each object from the series depicts the stories of distant worlds that are not only based on knowledge but more so on imagination.

'Waterford Lantern' #tb 2015 Design Workshop at Waterford City of Glass, Ireland- September 2015

I was invited by Róisín de Buitléar (@roisindebuitlear) - artist and leader of the Irish Glass community to participate a design workshop at Waterford Crystal (@waterfordcrystal) and later the symposium #FutureLegacy - Contemporary contexts for Glass in Tourism, Design & Technologies. 

We workshop entailed going into the Waterford Crystal Factory to design a contemporary home ware piece using only discarded glass from the factory production. I decided I wanted to design a 'portable chandelier' which later on became 'Crystal Lantern'.

Between Maurice Scanlon (master cutter) in the photo and Greg Sullivan (master engraver) they facilitated the production of our prototypes and the design started to come together. These were by-products of the Waterford factory production, so we repurposed them into a new product.

Photography: Philip Lauterbach (@plpix)

For more photos of the process >>>please visit here<<<

JULI BOLAÑOS-DURMAN

We speak to Glass Artist and Hothouse17 Maker Juli Bolaños-Durman

Juli is an emerging Latin American Designer with a background in Graphic Design, she pairs this with mixed media and a recent immersion into glass to create vibrant, characterful vessels.

Juli has been selected for Hothouse, the Crafts Council's Talent Development Programme for emerging makers. Find out more about Hothouse

What first got you interested in making?

Since I can remember, I felt the need to understand my surroundings and learn through the direct interaction of the materials of the moment. As a kid, I would spend many hours playing in the garden with all of my cousins. This is where we came up with new interpretations based on wonder and directed by curiosity.

What in particular drew you to glass?

I love the fact that it can be ‘fixed’ or transformed through various cold working processes, especially when I encounter found objects that I see potential in and I act as a translator between the material and the ideal of what the object can become.

Consequently, by aiming to transform ordinary objects into valuable-timeless pieces or objects d’art, the process flows effortlessly to materialise into sculptural art with soul or as I refer to in Spanish as 'flavour'.  By challenging and appropriating traditional notions of originality, the mixture of media and their juxtaposition, these end up attributing more character to contemporary compositions, portray a richer narrative and develop my artistic identity as an intuitive researcher.

Which project are you most proud of so far and why?

It is hard to choose one because each one has its own particular magic and served its purpose, in the sense that each was a stepping stone to get to the next. But off the top of my head, I would have to say my MFA graduation project ‘Ode to Intuición’ Series (2013)

Up until then I had no idea that the audience would connect so much to this series of 60 non-functional, sculptural vessels. These appeal to the concept of preciousness and the importance of intuitive play as a guide to the creative process and if you take a look at the creature like figures, best described as perfume bottles, these embody my essence as a Latin American designer: vibrant colours, having a different perspective thanks to my heritage and the playful aspect which is our common humanity.

Thanks to this project, many doors were opened and it has allowed me to be push my aesthetic into the next level.

What do you hope to get from Hothouse?

I am very excited to have the insider’s knowledge on building a business and to move away from the idea of a ‘starving artist’. Most importantly, I look forward to getting feedback on my business development up to date and also understand how we, the UK makers, fit into the wider contemporary context. In the end, opportunities like these will promote conversations with a wide range of industry leaders by developing current peer and professional networks, motivate us to participate of a constructive synergy for new ideas and catapult important critical dialogue. In the long term, the overall experience will challenge our practice in every aspect and enrich the UK community of makers as a whole by developing successful creative businesses.

It seems the illustration process and your background in graphic design plays a huge part in the final pieces. How does that process work and to what extent realised is the final piece on paper?

My background in graphic design has played a massive role on how I observe the world and how I categorize the information and I enjoy compartmentalizing in beautifully grid like structures.

Regarding the illustration aspect of it, I couldn’t narrow it down to just that. I would have to say that I start with Quick Projects: These are characterized by composing without any restrictions and by letting creativity flow without sabotaging ones intuition. By allowing the mind to access the creative process judgment-free, the pressure is off and this is when play provokes the creation of new ideas. Throughout this process, observation aids a better understanding of the work proposed and promotes the discovery of an unlimited and continuous source of new ideas. Consequently, these are the starting points for my work.

And as a Graphic Designer, sketchbooks are a big part of the development of the research since it includes all the experimental thoughts, the Quick Projects and documentation of the technical notes. It is a personal space for ideas, which have influenced the day to day of the studio work to act as, to quote Carole Gray and Julian Malins,  a ‘bound collection of sheets that contain the development of ideas over time, and subsequent reflection and analysis’. These come together and make possible the understanding of the thought and creative processes. By providing a space for dialogue and development of the ideas, the sketchbook facilitates the evolution of future projects.

In the end, the sketchbook becomes the principal storyteller of the project and the portrayal of the creative journey. It is a very personal space in which ideas are proposed without any restrictions. Consequently, these become frozen moments that synthesise the preciousness of that intuitive thought. Personally, the value of the bound collection of sheets is as precious as the final series of the sculptural objects.

You are originally from Costa Rica, what do you take from this to influence your work?

Costa Ricans are known for being very laid back and to go with the flow. It isn’t always the best approach to life to be too relaxed, but for me this is how I produce my best work. I let myself flow in the process, disregarding if it a ‘good’ idea or not. Sometimes is just needs to be that way and it doesn’t matter the outcome, it is there for a reason and only with time and perspective we will be able to understand its meaning- Design is a process, not just the outcome.

Costa Rica is known of its wildlife and beautiful, vibrant nature. I grew up in a lush surroundings and that is imprinted in me and my aesthetic as a designer.

And one last characteristic that I think is very important is that as a culture we are very cheeky. We like to push the boundaries of what is supposed to be, bending the rules to understand the limits. These allows us to be inquisitive by pushing different ways to solving problems and allows us to make the unmade.   

You have said that some of your pieces seem to have their own character and personality. Can you explain a bit more?

I think of my pieces like if they were my children: we can only put out best intention forward during their development, but at the end of the day we can only cave into the discomfort of not knowing what they will become and the process will surprise us in wonderful ways.

All of my work is certainly not straight at all, just because I cannot do a straight line if my life depended on it. So, I accentuate it to make sure it doesn’t look like it is a mistake and embrace the ‘flavour’ this brings to the composition. Each and every one of these sculptural objects are completely unique and are named according to their distinctive and quirky characteristics. The names are Quick Projects themselves referencing my Latin American roots; by using a mixture of Spanish and English languages and cultural references.

In the end, even the audience has connected with the artwork when they like the idea of baptizing the pieces and I specially like when they say what it reminds them of and how by doing this, they are connecting to that childlike curiosity that keeps us sane. 

You are interested in using discarded objects. What qualities attract you to a found object?

Good question, I’m not quite sure. I guess that I am value the materiality – texture, colour, transparency. But most importantly, I am drawn to objects that look a bit lost and are in the look out for a new identity. Such as imagining if the Ocean had a ‘Lost and Found’ box. Can you imagine what you would find there? Imagine all the treasures from millions of years of sunken ship? My cousins Go Pro that I borrowed that time without his permission? Zeus’ favourite toe ring? This is the type of wonder I value and try to bring to my work constantly. Life is sometime too serious and we cannot forget the importance of having a laugh.

Vessels of remembrance. When developing this idea, I started to look into Lachrymatories: the tiny glass or terracotta vessels, found Roman and late Greek tombs. It is believed that these vessels were used to collect tears when mourning a love one. I find this as a very symbolic and endearing concept to honor the deceased. So with the Solace Collection I wanted to create objects that embodied and paid homage to special ideas or souls in our lives. 

Dimensions: 39 x 18 cm, 40 x 18 cm & 41 x 17 cm approx.

Photography: Shannon Tofts

Series of 19 of the headdresses from made-up civilizations.

Found & Blown Glass with cutting

24 x 26 cm approx. each

Photography: Shannon Tofts

2016. Edinburgh

The Made-Up Museum of Artefacts Series was inspired by precious heritage objects from historical civilizations, their craftsmanship and cultural legacy. This subject has captivated my imagination and motivated me to appropriate the theme and develop a poetic juxtaposition of the different ideas to construct made-up precious objects through exploratory play. Each object from the series depicts the stories of distant worlds that are not only based on knowledge but more so on imagination.

Series of vessels of remembrance. When developing this idea, I started to look into Lachrymatories: the tiny glass or terracotta vessels, found Roman and late Greek tombs. It is believed that these vessels were used to collect tears when mourning a love one. I find this as a very symbolic and endearing concept to honour the deceased.

Solace Collection: series of bespoke objects- by repurposing found glass and blown pieces transformed and embellished through heritage cutting techniques to create an objet d’art. Each embodies and pays homage to special ideas or souls in our lives. 

Dimensions: 39 x 18 cm, 40 x 18 cm & 41 x 17 cm approx.

Series: Ode to Intuición

Group Fourteen -Piece number: 52, 53 & 54 of 60

As soon as I had engraved the three top pieces with white color overlay, I knew that this installation's name would be inspired by Christopher Columbus' voyages and his ships. According to history books, Columbus led his ships 'La PInta, La Niña y La Santa María' in the pursuit of new territories and riches. So when I was invited to participate in the 4th Iberoamericana Design Bienal in Madrid, I knew straight these were the pieces for the occasion. This installation represents the moment when the Iberoamerican concept was born and the cultural exchange that happened after this discovery. 

This installation was selected for the 4ª BIENAL IBEROAMERICANA DE DISEÑO. Madrid, Spain. November 2014 l  http://www.bid-dimad.org/

A collaboration with Photographer Mariam Woching, Jeweller Jimena Bolaños-Durman and myself. 

Shot in Film 35mm - Mercado Central. San José, Costa Rica 2018

The Excursion Exhibition at Custom Lane this summer, was a great opportunity to take all the feedback from @craftscouncil 's Hothouse sessions and explore a bit more the different avenues when presenting our work and communicating with our audience.

This is the first time I have showed my sketches and visual explorations that are an integrate part of my practice and are now for sale. Please contact me directly if you are interested.

These are all original quick projects made by me using mixed mediums such as acrylic paints, china ink, coloured pencils, watercolours, pen- to name a few.

Photography: Shannon Tofts