Spotlight on sculptors creating with Jesmonite

We see a lot of homeware, jewellery and even furniture now made of Jesmonite. We are so aware of how Jesmonite is used in construction and building. But what we’re seeing more and more of is sculptors using Jesmonite.

Sculptors are discovering the benefits of using our non-toxic, water based material and are getting more and more inventive with it – We’ve previously featured the work of Mari-Ruth Odi.

Sculptors

You’ll find lots of interesting and exciting sculpts if you search for the hashtag #jesmonitesculptures on Instagram including the amazing work of Art and York, Gallery 57, Suezan, Marion Brandis, Barry Reigate, Lily Minilli, Ragleth Gallery and White gold project.

It really is incredible, the effects they create and the finishes they manage sculpting using Jesmonite. Here we speak to two other sculptors about how they’re using Jesmonite in their work.

Erie Iguchi, based in Tokyo, Japan, creates beautiful work after using Jesmonite for three years.

She mainly creates vibrant and funny high heels in an array of designs – because they are symbolic of women, both of dressing up beautifully and the possible gender discrimination through expectation that women must wear high heels at a fomal place.

Erie also always uses an aspect of an animal in her high heel sculptures to show the instinct or wild side of women.

Smear Jesmonite directly on

She said: “I like Jesmonite because it is a water based resin so it doesn’t smell like chemicals and I can use it anywhere.

“You can also change the texture much more easily than chemical resin, which I was using before.

“It can be hard while polishing, to prepare for painting but the end product is very impressive.

“I make a prototype model by clay and make a mould by silicon then pour the Jesmonite, often then smearing the Jesmonite directly on to the sculpt before polishing it.”

Erie is doing an exhibition at Rempahrenpah gallery and has won several prizes for her work at competitions in Tokyo.

For more information on Erie and her work follow her on Instagram and visit her website.

Buildings on the wall

Northern Ireland based John Donnelly uses Jesmonite to create sculptures in his spare time based on the environment around him.

Influenced by model making as part of his university studies into architecture, John now creates pieces exploring buildings across the island of Ireland.

He didn’t feel comfortable selling models using regular plaster, but since discovering Jesmonite in 2016 his work reached a much higher standard and he set up his company Model Citizen – and now has work in homes across the globe.

“I have been really impressed with the clarity and detail without getting air bubbles or creating dust, since I have been using Jesmonite, he said”.

“It is consistent and I am seeing results again and again, Jesmonite is a really handy way of recreating my work.

“The curing time is fantastic and I am looking to start exploring with pigments and other mixes.

“I do get a kick out of my work being in people’s homes, it is nice to see posts on social media of people in New York with my models.”

John has also started running presentations and classes on how to use Jesmonite at Ulster Museum and said it is a great example of how quickly you can pick up the material and run with it.

For more from John Donnelly follow his Instagram or visit his website.