A group of architects, artists, and designers have taken to Instagram to share miniature dream homes made of clay, providing a much-needed dose of domestic fantasy during the social isolation age.
They were made in response to Clay Play, a contest launched a couple of weeks ago by Eny Lee Parker, an up-and-coming Brooklyn-based designer known for her organically shaped clay designs that evoke in equal parts traditional craftwork and a certain millennial aesthetic. Parker documented herself making a tiny home-away-from-home, replete with an Isamu Noguchi lamp, a Jean Arp sculpture, and an Imi Knoebel painting—then invited others to do the same.
“I thought of ways to start a challenge that people could do while being home,” Parker told Dezeen. “Polymer clay was my go-to since I focus on ceramics, and creating an ‘ideal room’ seemed fitting since we are all in our homes.”
The designer received nearly 50 submissions, from a marble-filled Mediterranean villa and a boxy bungalow decked out in modernist design. There was a Kusama-inspired mirror room and a rustic den with a Hockney Splash painting hanging from a stone fireplace. The winner of the contest, set to be announced today, will receive one of Parker’s clay lamps (which retails at $3,200), while the runner up will get a daisy-shaped sconce light.
“I knew that, for me, I’d have to keep myself busy so my mind wouldn’t focus on the bad news happening everywhere,” said Parker. “You need a balance of being well-informed, and keep living while finding positivity to stay sane and safe.”
See the final group of Clay Play submissions here and the top 10 finalists below: