“Pink Cake” by Lisa Mullkin & “Crest” by Hannah Fridholm
Art in Bloom Gallery is eager to introduce you to the ceramic sculptures and paintings of guest artists Hannah Fridholm & Lisa J. Mullikin – two recent arrivals to our area with fresh perspectives to share! Ceramicist Hannah Fridholm explores the fragility of memory and the fleeting moments that shape our lives, using clay as a medium to embody transformation and impermanence. Through hand-built sculptures and textured forms, she captures the delicate nature of human experiences. Painter & architect Lisa J. Mullikin focuses on the relationships we have with regional landscapes, and the cultural connections we have to place. Since moving to Wilmington, Lisa’s oils have reflected the area’s unique relationships between the placid land, dynamic sky and the formidable ocean.
In the landscape of human experience, a “desire path” is the unplanned route carved by choices, losses, and transformations. Through incorporating mixed media into their creations, Hannah & Lisa explore the intersections between nature, history, and imagination – the transitory moments when we move from one space to the next. This is not unlike our lives in transition, when we are heading down a certain path but suddenly feel compelled to walk through the untrodden meadow searching and hoping for something wild and unexpected. Altogether, “Desire Path” honors memories and the trail we carve into the earth when we stray from the path.
Clay, for Hannah Fridholm, is not just a material but a vessel of memory. It has a life of its own, requiring attention and care throughout its journey. Like us, it is vulnerable—subject to cracking, breaking, and sometimes even exploding. The process of working with clay becomes a sanctuary, a space where emotions can be expressed and explored. The fragile results of this process mirror the fragility of our own lives. In creating these precarious objects, Hannah’s aim is to make a statement about the precious, fleeting nature of existence.
Hannah’s newest works are a testament to the precious, fleeting nature of life and the resilience found in nature’s lifecycles. Hannah works with clay because it is a material that embodies memory, mirroring the fragility of life. These sculptures act as shrines to moments lost, realized, or imagined. By turning the scars of life into decorative regalia, these figures wear their histories as adornments.
Lisa J. Mullikin’s painting career has been a continuation of her architecture career. She continues to be intrigued by nature, light, and space, and what decisions we make when we are passing through “in-between spaces” – those moments when we move from one space to the next, when the light opens up or closes down and we become hyper aware of our surroundings.
Many of Lisa’s pieces explore these dreamlike experiences where will and acceptance collide. Her recent series add a layer of exploration into the interconnectedness of life. To Lisa, the women in these paintings quietly hold up the world and protect us. They are a part of nature, as are the animals, who are always messengers, storytellers, and deep thinkers. They free us to trust our intuition. They compel us to be our wild selves. Through making, Lisa investigates a world where she can be the animal.
Stoneware Pottery & Raku Ware by Traudi Thornton
Art in Bloom Gallery and the Estate of Traudi Thornton are pleased to continue to represent the work of late master ceramicist and artist Traudi Thornton (1940-2023). The gallery will offer works of Traudi’s functional stoneware pottery as well as her unique raku ware. Traudi continues her unique presence at Art in Bloom Gallery, where she participated in exhibits and sales beginning in 2015.
Join us in celebrating our partnership between True Blue Butcher & Table Restaurant, Debra Bucci Fine Art and Art in Bloom Gallery!
True Blue, a local restaurant in Wilmington, NC, invited Debra to create and display a collection of her large abstract art in their dining room. The paintings are for sale and can viewed in the restaurant and online.
True Blue Butcher and Table Restaurant
1125 Military Cutoff Road, Wilmington, NC 28405