The Art of Minute

Taking miniature to the next, exquisite level, six artists create works that must be viewed up close to be appreciated. By Lisa Mesbur

ROSA DE JONG

micro-matter.com Inside the small glass globes and test tubes of this Amsterdam artist, plants root downwards, emerald moss spreads, tents are pitched underneath tree canopies, and cottages perch atop craggy cliffs made from bark. The common thread in de Jong’s tiny verdant landscapes is, they cultivate a sense of wonder for the natural world, even as they call attention to its fragility in our hands.

ABIGAIL GOLDMAN

abigailgoldman.com Goldman doesn’t make dioramas. She makes “dieoramas,” perhaps influenced by her day job as a public defender investigator in Washington state. At first glance, her creations depict domestic scenes replete with dollhouse-like figures and objects. Closer inspection reveals more sinister elements — cheerfully enacting macabre scenarios both delightful and disconcerting.

SALAVAT FIDAI

https://www.salavatfidai.com How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Fidai could probably tell you. This Russian artist carves microsculptures into the black graphite points of sharpened pencils. The effect is bold and surprisingly serious. Shrunk down to mere micromillimetres, his works remind the viewer of the scale of human accomplishment.

JON ALMEDA

almedapottery.com After making conventionally sized ceramics, Oahu-based Almeda discovered the art of the miniature and started crafting vessels that stand only a few centimetres high. Throwing his diminutive pots on a custombuilt 2-inch-diameter wheel powered by a walkie-talkie motor, he creates vessels that eschew functionality in favour of form. Given their luminous glazes and seductive shapes, you can’t miss Almeda's pots.

HASAN KALE

@hasankale_microangelo on Instagram Cheekily referring to himself as “Microangelo,” this Istanbul-based painter’s subject matter ranges from meticulously detailed replicas of Old Masters to classical landscapes, flora and fauna. Painted on surfaces, from split almonds to feathers to single popcorn kernels, his tiny masterpieces allude to the ingenuity of human endeavours and the poignant impermanence of art.

EVAN LORENZEN

artandsuchevan.com Watercolour paints and ink are challenging mediums for any artist, which makes this multidisciplinary creator’s whimsical art all the more impressive. Lorenzen, who lives in Denver, creates postage-stampsized paintings and illustrations of animals, funny faces, fantastical beasts and more, the often humorous subject matter belying the technical skill required to make the artworks.