Guardians of the Watchtowers

This group of four sculptures represents the guardians of a magic circle as four cats, each one associated with an element -- earth, air, fire, water -- and a cardinal direction. Each cat is unique, sculpted using a range of hand building techniques, and glazed and fired to stoneware temperature.

Glazed ceramic stoneware.

Dimensions: (as a group) 38 x 27 x 17 cm.

About the artist:
Vlad Cohen is a Brighton based artist, working primarily in ceramic stoneware. He makes unique sculptures of imaginary animals and figures in his studio near Preston Park. He is attracted to ceramics because of the inherent contradictions it embodies as an art form, at once kitsch and connoisseurial, utilitarian and refined, domestic and exotic. Vlad’s work explores the desire to belong, by conjuring beings into clay that act as a range of companions in different roles: sometimes comforting protectors and guardians, and at other times cautionary and uncanny beasts. These characters provide a way of digging into difficult issues, working through feelings of alienation and isolation, insecurity, and the need for acceptance. Many of his creatures, such as poodles and unicorns, explore queer imagery and identity. All of the sculptures emerge from a personal inner world, but refer to wider mythological and imaginary sources, as well as art history and esoteric lore.