Kartini Thomas’s unconventional sculptural practice draws on two primary sources: the observations she made under a microscope during her biology studies, and the gods and mythological creatures found in the folkloric imaginations of the countries she has traveled to. Protrusions, tentacles, toothed mouths, and fluid, bubble-like forms breathe life into the ceramic creatures she creates and the fragments of fauna and flora found in their dreamlike habitats. With a pastel color palette reminiscent of candy, Thomas masterfully blurs the boundaries between the repulsive and the endearing. The textured creatures he creates using porcelain and stoneware (high-fired ceramic clay) take shape within the natural flow of the creative process; the artist consciously allows the material to determine its final form.

Another element that makes Kartini Thomas’s work unique is that her pieces are not designed solely to be viewed. Some of her modular works can be taken apart and reassembled as desired, thereby inviting the viewer to touch them and establish a physical connection with the artwork. Her dynamic and playful sculptures transcend the boundaries between craft, design, and contemporary art, challenging traditional classifications. A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Kartini Thomas continues her work in the Occitanie region of southern France. The artist is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors (United Kingdom) and Ateliers d’Art de France. Throughout her career, Thomas has won numerous awards and fellowships; she was awarded the title of Master Artisan as part of the Homo Faber NextGen Fellowship and has received prestigious awards such as the Prix de la Jeune Céramique Contemporaine (2021) and the Australian 20 Best Artists Award (2020).

His works have been exhibited at the Collect Art Fair (London), the Ceramic Art Fair (Paris), Maison&Objet (Paris), Révélations (Paris), Saint-Sulpice Céramique (Paris), Résonances (Strasbourg), and Ceramic Brussels, as well as at numerous major art, design, and ceramics fairs held in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia.