Discover the art and sculpture behind bonsai trees at Elvis Presley’s former home in LA

The art of bonsai – literally, ‘tray planting’ – goes back thousands of years. Originating in China, becoming tradition in Japan, it only achieved worldwide recognition in the last few decades. The dwarfed, meticulously cared-for trees must be trimmed, styled, and repotted, though custom calls for masking the artist’s hand. It’s a process that, as the name suggests, depends heavily on the vessel.
Casa Perfect, the home-as-showroom LA offshoot of the Future Perfect, invited ceramicist Jonathan Cross and Bonsai Mirai’s Ryan Neil to unveil a collaboration of ceramic and living sculpture. Casa’s latest location, a former home of Elvis Presley with panoramic views, combines the residential and the worldly, offering an ideal environment for the paradoxes of bonsai itself.
The one-of-a-kind pieces pieces meld contemporary stoneware with bonsai that have been years-in-the-making, combining materials like stone and steel with juniper, aloe, and cypress. Cross’ work, collected at the National Bonsai Museum in Washington D.C., makes use of the ancient wood-firing process, giving his vessels the look of relics. Neil’s Portland-based Bonsai Mirai departs from Japanese tradition, taking cues from Western art history such as contrapposto figures and Italian Renaissance paintings. The results are elongated, exaggerated forms that can appear to be falling, writhing, or stretching upwards.
Desert Study Sandstone by Jonathan Cross and Ryan Neil
‘Bonsai has always been interesting to me, the meditative quality to the craft and staggering sense of artistry,’ David Alhadeff, founder of The Future Perfect, said of the collaboration. ‘There is a really exciting energy between the two artists and it led to something that’s a wonderful reflection of the kind of experimentation that Casa Perfect was developed for.’
The pieces appear both within in the house and in the ample backyard space– eliding the indoor and outdoor of the single-floor, Hollywood Regency-style home. The pieces from the show will be exclusively available through The Future Perfect.
‘It’s all about expanding and challenging traditional ways of thinking about design,’ said Alhadeff, adding the works ‘take both artists into new territory’– a fitting new project for the still-roving space.
Find out more about The Future Perfect’s LA space here
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
’Beverly Hills Bonsai: Jonathan Cross x Ryan Neil’ is on view by appointment only. For more information, visit the website
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Basic.Space launches its first IRL shopping event – in an empty West Hollywood mall
With the launch of its first in-person event in LA this weekend, the e-commerce platform is looking to bring collectible design to a whole new audience
By Adrian Madlener
-
Design Miami 2024 is alive with possibility: here are 14 things to see
Design Miami 2024 opens 4-8 December – let Wallpaper* guide you to the highlights, from dazzling installations to plump sofas and anthropomorphic sculptures
By Ali Morris
-
Nendo’s collaborations with Kyoto artisans go on view in New York
‘Nendo sees Kyoto’ is on view at Friedman Benda (until 15 October 2022), showcasing the design studio's collaboration with six artisans specialised in ancient Japanese crafts
By Pei-Ru Keh
-
Mudlarking beside the River Thames inspires The New Craftsmen’s makers
London Design Festival 2022: The New Craftsmen’s new collection, ‘Claylarks’, features work from a group of creatives inspired by a River Thames mudlarking expedition
By Mary Cleary
-
Italian craftsmanship comes to Los Angeles in this eclectic Venice Canals apartment
Boffi Los Angeles celebrates a juxtaposition of texture throughout a waterside bolthole
By Hannah Silver
-
Design Miami/Basel 2022 explores the Golden Age
Design Miami/Basel 2022, led by curatorial director Maria Cristina Didero, offers a positive spin after the unprecedented times of the pandemic, and looks at the history and spirit of design
By Rosa Bertoli
-
Kvadrat’s flagship New York showrooms encompass colourful design codes
Industrial designer Jonathan Olivares and architect Vincent Van Duysen have worked with Danish textile brand Kvadrat on the vast new space, also featuring furniture by Moroso
By Hannah Silver
-
What to see at New York Design Week 2022
Discover Wallpaper’s highlights from New York Design Week 2022 (10 – 20 May 2022): the fairs, exhibitions and design openings to discover
By Pei-Ru Keh