Bentonville is a small town in Northwest Arkansas that has, over time, become synonymous with massive retail operations and corporate ecosystems. The bustling hub is ingrained with the legacy of Walton’s, a small nickel and dime convenience store that opened on Bentonville’s downtown square in 1950 to serve its surrounding community. The shop quickly found success, and owner Sam Walton opened another store nearby that would evolve into the largest retailer in the world: Walmart.

During this time and throughout the ’60s, a post-war boom overtook the burgeoning commercial landscape of the United States. The suburban American Dream became a catalyst for retailers to adapt to an evolving social fabric that aimed to serve families hunting for necessities at an affordable price, and in a pinch. As a result, various amenities were introduced to convenience stores and chains, including the emergence of self-serve gasoline pumps.

The 1980s and ’90s, however, ushered in a new frontier of American commerce rooted in modernization. Supermarkets began to resemble the eptiome of a “one-stop-shop,” significantly transcending previous notions of convenience. In just one trip to the store, busy parents had the ability to pick out groceries for the week, restock housekeeping supplies, fill prescriptions, and feed their families lunch at the food court—all while waiting for their vacation photos to develop via rapid film processing. Securing a quick and easy premade dinner was possible thanks to the popular frozen food aisle, and as a cherry on top, VHS movies were available for purchase to pair with the titular “TV dinner.”

U.K.-based artist Lucy Sparrow refers to this moment as “the beginning of convenience,” which doubles as the title of her newest large-scale installation and first museum exhibition in the United States. The Beginning of Convenience at The Momentary calls to the nostalgia of regional chain stores, retro packaging aesthetics, and a time when life was, as the artist described at the show’s opening, “becoming more about enjoyment and less about toil.”

For many, modern grocery stores can be imposing, and Sparrow’s monumental assemblage conjures a similar feeling of being carried away. The immensity of The Beginning of Convenience, however, invokes feelings of joy and comfort, rather than a newfangled sensory overload. Stocked to the brim with more than 20,000 handmade objects, an expansive collection of soft, felt artworks take over a 4,000-square-foot gallery space, creating an immersive experience for visitors—or, more fittingly—shoppers.

Much of the magic comes from the painstaking details that work together in molding an all-out sensory experience. For instance, as viewers weave through the aisles, music in the style of old-school supermarket beats hums in the background. The music however, is occasionally interrupted with amusing, familiar intercom announcements in a fuzzy tone, calling the parents or guardians of a lost young girl named Lucy to make their way to the photo department.

At the opening earlier this month, the artist was dressed for the occasion wearing a light blue, collared button-down shirtdress with vertical stripes running down the middle. Sparrow and her team shared that the custom garment was inspired by original Walmart uniforms from the company’s archives, extending a subtle nod to the fitting location of the exhibition.

Sparrow wields a remarkable ability to craft welcoming spaces for quite literally anyone. Each of the artist’s renowned installations over the years are the brainchild of her own imaginative world, and a sense of vulnerability comes with our invitation into it. “Lucy’s work is quirky yet subversive,” says an exhibition statement. “Her soft and colorful felt creations charm and disarm visitors, while her detailed research practice and incisive observations inspire strong feelings of nostalgia, community, and conversations around shared history.”

This deeply humane feeling is refreshing within the context of American consumerism and growing corporatism. Especially as of late, the simple task of grocery shopping has become an increasingly divisive experience, and for many Americans, trips to the store are a looming reminder of shrinking household budgets and soaring prices, making it difficult to associate ordinary retail environments with anything but exhaustion or stress.

The presence of joy and childlike wonder in The Beginning of Convenience offers a significant subversion. Injecting this feeling into a visceral environment allows each viewer to shift their focus to enjoyment, the marvels of retail innovation, and the nostalgia that comes with it.

Evoking the emotional power of soft toys, felt as a material inspires feelings of warmth and security. While walking through Sparrow’s produce and meat department, this impression seems nearly impossible to ignore as netted bags of oranges, piles of juicy grapefruits, and fresh cuts of pork chop look up at you with shy smiles.

Because of this, it seems easy to tap into an imaginative world where many of Sparrow’s plush products unmistakably possess individual souls. Perhaps the Georgia peaches have a more bubbly personality than their spiky pineapple neighbors, and, conceivably, the beef steaks across the aisle may be tough on the outside but tender at heart. Somehow anything seems possible in a world that melds the energetic spirit of commercialism with the with the slow, mindful creation of the same objects through cutting, stuffing, sewing, and embellishing.

Upon exiting the supermarket experience, viewers encounter even more felt versions of common items within grocery store vestibules: vending machines dispensing your choice of Coke or Pepsi products, a photobooth, a coin-operated mechanical car ride, and an electronic ATM, which, at the time, was reaching its ubiquity.

Turning the corner into a separate area, visitors are met with a massive floor-to-ceiling installation of more than 3,000 stuffed bananas. The sight is a recreation of the artist’s “Banana Room,” a comforting place in her studio to relax and “be surrounded by happiness,” she says. Sparrow received her first plush banana when she was nine years old as a present from her father, and later received a larger version who was named Sebastian. Sebastian’s presence throughout the show and as a mascot for the artist’s practice is further proof of the unfaltering childlike wonder imbued within every corner of Sparrow’s practice.

Across from the Banana Room sits a replica of the “Felt Cave.” The space—previously an ambulance station that was converted into Sparrow’s Suffolk studio—offers more insight into her artistic process and the teamwork that goes into creating thousands of objects, one at a time. Sparrow is supported by five full-time assistants, four cats, freelancers, and, of course, Sebastian.

Along with a faux window displaying the exact view from the studio—overlooking two colorful cars frequently parked outside, including a hot pink Jeep sporting a “F3LT U” license plate—The Felt Cave is filled with hundreds more surprises. As the exhibition label notes, there is “an ‘HR Department’ of bespectacled bananas, a canary yellow cuckoo clock, and ‘dab dabs’—abstract paintings created from dabbing the excess off the tip of a paint bottle.”

The Beginning of Convenience is on view through July 11, 2027.

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What best represents European life? The eternal dichotomy of nature vs. culture structures the Central Bank’s quest for a new banknote design, and now, the public can vote and offer feedback on ten proposals.

A panel of jurors selected the designs, which follow one of two themes: European places and ideas or birds and rivers, the latter of which is meant to symbolize freedom and unity. While the basic elements are the same—all collections devoted to culture feature the same six figures, including Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, composer Ludwig van Beethoven, scientist Marie Curie, opera singer Maria Callas, and authors Bertha von Suttner and Miguel de Cervantes, for example—individual approaches appear in the layout, aesthetic, and composition.

Voting is open through mid-September, when jurors will select one design that will go through an additional vetting process before the organization adopts it entirely. View all ten on the bank’s website.

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A nude Black woman lies on a stark white chaise, her head propped up by her thin arm. She’s surrounded by flat, abstracted color in the form of fruits and fabrics, and a glass coupe and bottle on a nearby table offer a clear, rather than refracted, view of the vibrant scene. Rendered in oil on burlap, the painting by William H. Johnson is commanding in its palette and subject matter and an exemplary work in a new book by art historian Richard J. Powell.

Forthcoming this fall from Princeton University Press, Colorstruck! Painting, Pigment, Affect delves into the ways that color and social, political, and cultural forces intersect in Black American art. Powell takes an expansive approach to each of the three topics—painting, pigment, and affect—and examines works by a wide group of artists, including Jacob Lawrence, Alma Thomas, Lorna Simpson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Nina Chanel Abney. His interest is in the dynamic interplay of paint and pigment and what the two reveal about both the artists and the viewers.

Sharing a root with words like awestruck or starstruck, colorstruck is a slang term that evolved from “a Black person who preferred associating with light-skinned Blacks or White people to anyone inordinately preoccupied with race,” Powell writes. The idea is largely associated with colorism, although in his view, it can also be applied to the ways we marvel at and can even be overwhelmingly affected by an artist’s palette. He adds:

What if a painter, like early Black modernist Willian H. Johnson, set aside the more pejorative insinuations in the idea of being colorstruck, and instead used the paint medium, an intense color palette, racial Blackness, and most important, his abstracting inclinations to produce an expressionistic, evocative, and disruptive work of art?

The book continues in this line of thinking as it connects what is often thought of as a universal concept—that color exists, and humans respond to certain hues in particular ways—and the distinct context of race in America. Richly illustrated with archival photographs and numerous artworks, the volume captures the relationship between the unique experience of an artist and her viewer and the broader powers that inform those dynamics.

Colorstruck! Painting, Pigment, Affect will be published in September, and you can pre-order your copy through Bookshop.

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Since 1998, Fumiaki Aono has been interested in how objects circulate and what happens when they appear in new contexts. Questions of restoration and regeneration naturally followed, and wood became a prime medium for exploring these themes.

Today, Aono continues to revitalize found objects, particularly discarded furniture. Dressers, chests, and cabinets stack into towering assemblages and become the imaginative backdrop for the artist’s constructed scenes. Converted drawers appear like apartment buildings on a summer day, with tenants leaning out windows and hanging out at street level. Several works also depict box trucks and other vehicles emerging from wooden furnishings, while bicycles, hats, and shoes jut from the edges of sculptures to convey a sense of movement and evolution.

After experimenting with plywood and timber, Aono’s transition to secondhand furniture added a conceptual layer to the pieces. These objects “brought the old memories and lived histories of people into the imagery of the work. In recent years, my concept of ‘regeneration’ has evolved beyond mere physical form; it has become a highly complex and multifaceted process encompassing history, memory, ancient legends, and the deep psyche,” he says.

Explore more from the artist on his website and Instagram.

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The small settlement of Pyramiden on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is literally frozen in time. A former mining outpost for the Soviet Union, industrial operations ceased in 1998, and residents relocated. It wasn’t until 2007 that a handful of new inhabitants made the settlement home.

Because Pyramiden was abandoned in a cold climate, it remains impeccably preserved, with remnants of its once-thriving settlement still visible. French photographer Damien Aubin visited the Arctic region and documented the still, serene environment blanketed in snow. “The place has not been abandoned. It has been left in suspension,” he says.

Pyramiden’s buildings and the objects inside are largely unchanged. Books sit open on school desks, and an unblemished statue of Lenin presides over a common area. Outside, a towering outdoor monument soars into the sky, the vibrant red and blue paint a stark contrast to the otherwise white landscape.

“I photograph these environments at a distance, in a restrained, diffuse light. There is no event to describe, no narrative to unfold,” Aubin adds. “Across Pyramiden, Barentsburg and Longyearbyen, the same condition appears:
spaces shaped by human intent, no longer aligned with it.”

Aubin has compiled the photos in a limited-edition book slated for release in September. You can purchase a copy on his website.

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“When I was really little, I wanted to be one of those stackable chairs you’d see in like a school auditorium,” Felicia Chiao says. “I thought they looked cozy.” This childhood memory is the basis for a playful drawing in which Chiao’s signature characters mound atop one another. Layering reigns in this imagined world as calendars and clocks emerge from the wall in dense piles, while stacks of books and dishes rest on the floor.

Chiao is known for her warm illustrations that capture emotion and the variances of mental health through surreal, flower-filled scenes. Working in pencil, ink, and watercolor, the artist renders compositions that feel both timeless and indicative of our current age, in which the anxieties and tribulations of life today emerge through curious characters.

Alongside her largely domestic scenes, Chiao has also been adding to her growing collection of Lunar New Year drawings, which feature the animal of the year set against a gilded and crimson backdrop.

Play and constraint also figure prominently into the artist’s approach. “I did a very cool collaboration with Heath Ceramics last year, and while it was a completely different medium than what I am used to, I think it has influenced my drawing process,” she says. “I’ve been experimenting with more mixed media (watercolor, color pencil, markers, sometimes a little gouache or gel pen).” The mats for frames are similar, as she enjoys the challenge of customizing the otherwise stark white material to complement her works.

This October, Chiao will open a solo show with Harman Projects and has several exhibitions slated for the coming years. She offers a variety of prints through her shop, and you can keep up with her latest works and collaborations on Instagram.

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Colossal has always called Chicago home. We love highlighting artists and designers in our own community, and the Colossal Shop’s newest collection brings our creative neighbors to a wider global audience.

This selection features one-of-a-kind and handmade objects from Chicago-based artists we’re excited to share a city with. From unique ceramic forms to thoughtfully designed apparel, there’s something exciting for everyone.

Shop the collection now.

Periwinkle Ripple Mugs

With rhythmic, stacked silhouettes and looping handles, these one-of-a-kind mugs turn morning coffees into a sculptural experience. Created as a series of 8 exclusively for Colossal, each retro-futuristic mug is uniquely hand-thrown and assembled by Chicago ceramic artist Dara Schuman. Read more about her work here.

The Kami Bag

A chic reinterpretation of the quintessential brown paper grocery bag, the Kami Bag designed by Bukuro is handcrafted from richly textured leather and lined in a soft suede. Both a unique accessory and fascinating conversation piece, its familiar form is elevated through thoughtful construction and unexpected materials.

Miniature Ceramic Animals

Starting Projects creates the cutest, tiniest friends to keep you company. Adopt a creature to roam your desk, bookshelf, or trinket display. Better yet, surprise a loved one with a miniature version of their pet. We currently have eight breeds to choose from.

Seed Libraries and Agave Grow Kits

Immerse yourself in a new tale of growing your own herbs, vegetables, and desert plants inside your own abode. Founded by two regular thumb-colored people inside their Chicago home, Modern Sprout makes thoughtfully crafted products to simplify plants and indoor gardening.

Hats and Helping Hand Trays

What better way to express your enthusiasm for hats and dogs? Chicago-based artist Joe Kraft works with a variety of materials. While exploring ceramics, the artist creates design objects like the Helping Hand Tray—your daily dish for keys, rings, cash, and more. However, his love for drawing and printmaking drives his practice, which informs his line of apparel, including bright, fun dad caps.

Magic Wand Spoons and Swirl Star Incense Holders

Hand-built one at a time, these stoneware pieces are small but mighty. DAiLY SPECiAL—a small ceramics studio by multidisciplinary artist Lulu Luyao Chang—creates whimsical hand-built ceramics, jewelry, cups, and home goods that blend playful nostalgia with organic forms.

Emerging Artist Hats and Kiln Loader Totes

Artist and illustrator Molly Anne Bishop is inspired by nature and the boring, everyday things we all have to do. If you’ve ever loaded a kiln, you can probably relate to this awkward, quirky, puzzle-like process. And while the Emerging Artist hat is a celebration of the potential inside of all of us, it’s also a tribute to our local cicada friends popping up to visit.

Silver Accessories

Why settle for plain hairstyles and ordinary lighters? Yard Sale Jewelry is the world of Ali Romero, a Chicago-based metals artist connected to organic forms and driven by a passion for transformation and natural elements.

Risograph Printed Matchboxes

Add some charm to your living room, kitchen, or bedside table. Lined with striped edges, these small-batch risograph printed matchboxes by Sunroom don playful illustrations of vibrant butterflies, cozy summer campfires, turning everyday essentials into a whimsical experience.

Find the full collection in the Colossal Shop.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article A New Colossal Shop Collection Highlights Local Artists and Chicago-Made Goods appeared first on Colossal.

For Donna Wilson, there’s no reason that knitwear and home decor shouldn’t incorporate a lot of color and elicit joy. From patterned towels and socks to blankets and hot water bottle sleeves, the London-based designer celebrates vibrant patterns and playful creatures, especially in her series of cushions. What’s not to love about a pillow with personality?

The soft objects ranging from bolsters to floor cushions to throw pillows are covered in knitted lambswool. Current designs include a larger-than-life banana, a whale, a toadstool, and more. The objects are produced in small batches in what Wilson describes as a “micro-factory” called the Knit Shop in Scotland, where vibrant flora and fauna, not to mention foods and playful takes on human body parts, are conceived as squishy instances of delight. See more in her shop.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Playful Knitted Pillows by Donna Wilson Infuse Interiors with Whimsy and Joy appeared first on Colossal.

For more than four decades, environmental artist Patrick Dougherty has reimagined the technical and sculptural capabilities of one simple material: twigs. Over the years, the North Carolina-based artist completed well over 300 large-scale, site-specific installations in a series he calls Stickworks, using literal truckloads of willow saplings from specialized farms in Canada that grow them for applications like fencing, basketmaking, and more. Where possible, Dougherty has also incorporated materials the local area had to offer.

I first stumbled upon the artist’s whimsical constructions in Door County, Wisconsin, where “Happy Go Lucky” sits at Horseshoe Bay Farms near Egg Harbor. By the time I experienced the work, it had already been colonized by Virginia creeper vines, which turn bright red in the autumn. The piece is simultaneously structural and fantastical, providing an inviting armature for nature, including insects.

Some of Dougherty’s public installations take architectural forms consisting of arches and towers, such as “Sea Change” and “Rough ‘n Tumble.” “All in the Family” resembles a group of larger-than-life urns. And others lean into a sense that the forest is always in a state of reclaiming. “The Jealous Wall” is constructed around existing buildings, as if the saplings are growing in slow motion and and engulfing everything in its path, not unlike the way nature, left to its own devices, will always redeem its space. All of his works emphasize an invitation, as visitors are encouraged to walk around and through the sculptures.

Pieces created over the past decade or so also bear the signature of artist Sam Dougherty, who provided full-time assistance in addition to his own pottery practice. Semi-retired now, Patrick Dougherty is still making works in his studio, and a recent exhibition at the Brahm Blowing Rock Art & History Museum included a wall-to-wall display of gloves collected over the years and signed by the volunteers who helped to install the works. Explore more from the archive on the artist’s website.

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In a practice she describes as “ceramic collage,” Debra Broz delves into the world of secondhand decor and kitsch. The Seattle-based artist’s quirky sculptures are made from found figurines, which she cuts and reconfigures into playful hybrid forms. “A lot of times when I look at them, I think about if they were alive, how would they move and how would they operate?” Broz tells Seattle Channel.

In her ongoing series Superorganisms, the artist creates three-dimensional assemblages that toy with the boundary between familiarity and the uncanny. “It’s really important to me that you look at it and your first thought is, ‘That’s a figurine I’ve seen before,'” she says. “And then your second thought is, ‘Wait, that’s something I’ve never seen before.'”

Broz often finds thematic figurines to work into larger compositions, building a jumbled mound of cats, for example, or all-white horses or rabbits. Overall, the finishes and junctions between individual creatures appear natural enough that one might think they were created that way. In the same vein, that precision works wonders in her adjacent conservation practice called Science of Restoration, which specializes in ceramics repair.

Three numbered works all sharing the title “Biblical Angel” will be on view this weekend in Antler Gallery’s booth at the Seattle Art Fair, which runs from July 23 to 26. See more of the artist’s process below in the video produced for Seattle Channel.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Debra Broz’s Kitschy ‘Superorganisms’ Are Both Familiar and Strange appeared first on Colossal.