Spanish porcelain superpower Lladró Atelier has added to the ranks of its monomorphic army The Guest after inviting Californian artist Gary Baseman – whose L.A. exhibition The Door is Always Open we featured recently, to go to work creating two more uniquely designed figures for the collection. The template shape was conceived last year by Jaime Hayon – one large and one small figure – and after Hayon put his brush to a few designs, Lladró sought out some more of the world’s top designers to decorate a limited edition series.
The ever-so-slightly sinister quality of these otherwise cartoonish characters is classic Baseman – just like childhood, a theme that informs his work, it’s not all sunshine and sodapops with these two grinning rascals. Tendrils creep up the legs of the larger character like veins to his exposed heart, while on the other side a happy looking nymph sits astride an engorged branch. The smaller of the pair has its third eye front and centre, a butterfly resting on the back of the head. The perfect addition to any alternative family mantlepiece.
