Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, social commentator, and activist. This past October 2010, Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" was installed at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. The work consists of 1 hundred million hand-painted porcelain seeds, each individually painted by an army of 1,600 Chinese artisans in the town of Jingdezhen. Weiwei and the curators encouraged visitors to walk across and roll in the work to experience and contemplate the essence of his comment on mass consumption, Chinese industry, famine and collective work. The Tate banned people from walking on the seeds on October 16th, due to health concerns over the dust created when attendees walked among the seeds...
I just saw Shary Boyle's weird and wonderful work at the AGO today, which included her ceramic as well as paintings, drawings and some impressive installation work.
sharyboyle.com
Claymate. The ceramic skateboard was originally designed for the "7ply Project. Organized by Propaganda Rolling Co in 2010.
Tougher than Leather. Originally designed for the "7ply Project" exhibition 2008.
Ridden in Stone. Originally designed for the "7ply Project" exhibition 2007.
Transform folders into elegant and versatile lamps. Concept developed for the Green Design Festival. Organized by Brainlab in 2008.
Gold plated brass necklace/pendant.
Plates. A is for Amen to the Hellenic culinary revolutionaries.
A marble chopping board/herb crusher in the shape of the wooden beach racket-n-ball.
Greece is for Lovers is a product design studio established by Vasso Damkou, Thanos Karampatsos and Christina Kotsilelou. They've been designing and exhibiting throughout the world since 2006. Inspired by the stereotypical notion of what is widely held to be “Greek”; their designs comment on habitual activities and behavioral patterns both of the past and the present. Their studio is based at the foot of the Acropolis hill, in Athens. greeceisforlovers.com