Local artisans turn to nature to create sculptural works that ground your home.
Flora Console Table By Sticks and Stones Collection
Naples-based Cori Craciun kept much of the Indonesian monkeypod (a.k.a. rain) tree’s stout trunk and some branches in their original state when creating the 8-foot console. As such, the wood’s knots and grain become a central part of the raw, sinuous design. The table took Craciun around five weeks to create, but she can spend up to a year on pieces like this, selecting the right wood and having it cut and dried to her specifications. Once the material arrives stateside, she’ll sand and artfully stain it before completion. This piece, she says, reminds her of a Florida panther. “It is graceful and powerful,” she says. “Its presence grabs your attention.”
Titan 1CC By Michael Krakow
The Titans series has been part of sculptor Michael Krakow’s career since the 1980s. Over time, the stout figures have evolved: At first, being more stoic, and now, more playful and human. Although he’s primarily used steel, glass and aluminum, in recent years, he’s taken to working with slab construction clay and copper. This Neo Titan is made of clay, finished with a black-and-brown oxide wash and stands 18 inches tall, making it a powerful statement piece for an entryway.
Underwater Sea Vine By Cocoon Naples
For all of the spectacular art that man has created throughout history, it’s safe to say nature will always outshine our best efforts. This sculpture from Cocoon stands more than 8 feet tall with a mesmerizing, tangled mass of once-living matter, which store owner Mitchell Siegel hand-selected and then worked with a team of artisans to clean and mount.
Sphere Coffee Table By Luxe Surface Design Studio
If ever there was a coffee table that commanded attention, it’s this three-ball design by Mariusz Dejcz of Luxe Surface Design Studio on Third Avenue North. The large spheres are made of concrete and coated with liquid metal in antique bronze (they can be recreated in just about any texture, pattern or color—a trademark of Dejcz’s ‘metal skins’).
Mappa Burl Chair By Chad Jensen, METHOD & CONCEPT
Chad Jensen recently took one of his earliest projects out of the archives and onto the floor at METHOD & CONCEPT. Developed when he was in college, the chair explores the duality and qualities of the materials—laminate on one surface and Mappa burl on the opposite side. “Laminate historically is devalued,” he says. “But if you go back to the Memphis group and what they designed with laminates—they’re still some of the most collectible pieces today.” Contrast that against the Mappa burl that looks warped when viewed in its original form, yet its cut reveals a fantastical pattern that “nothing could ever replicate.” The dualities are everywhere with this piece, Jensen notes.
