Functional Sculpture I Hooksis

Hooksis, Kate Theodore and Alan Kean
Hold On!, 2024
A set of 5 stoneware hooks with matt white glaze
10 x 10 x 9 cm each
4 x 4 x 3 ½ in. each

Incredibly strong, elegant and designed to be used, these hooks are a collaboration between sculptors Kate Theodore and Alan Kean. They emphasise the combination of art and function, creating objects that are dimensional, practical and made to be lived with.

These stoneware hooks are made by slip casting, which produces a thin but exceptionally sturdy ceramic shell. The work is first designed in clay, and subsequently a plaster mould is made, into which the slip is poured. After solidifying, the work is fired and glazed. Currently displayed in the Design House, a limited edition of 30 hooks are made, which are available both individually, and in sets of five.

Kate Theodore (b. 1981 in Eastleigh, Southampton) is an installation artist and sculptor. Her work examines everyday objects, re-contextualising them to blur the line between utility and beauty. After studying anthropology and philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 2004, Theodore followed Access to Art sculpture courses in London and Cyprus. She completed several artist residencies in Berlin and Brazil, and in 2018, obtained her master’s degree in Fine Art Practice from Glasgow School of Art. Kate Theodore has exhibited widely, including at Chapel Arts, Andover; Gallery N16, London; Kunst-stoffe, Berlin and Glasgow Project Room.

Hooksis, Kate Theodore and Alan Kean
Hold On!, 2024
Stoneware with matt white glaze
10 x 10 x 9 cm
4 x 4 x 3 ½ in.