NEW YORK — At first glance, the shimmery green and deep orange surfaces of Anina Major’s sculptural works look as though they would clink audibly if you dared tap them with something metal. The one titled Beneath the Docks takes the form of a basket with a handle, covered with an algae-colored glaze. The angled posture of Hermit Armor captures the stance of a cautious crab on the go.
Their surfaces also bear the unmistakable pattern of woven fiber, material that’s soft and yielding, that twists and stretches, then inevitably frays and falls apart. In fact, they are all of the above: Major’s sculptures are made from different kinds of clay, like luxurious porcelain and sturdy stoneware, but her inspiration is rooted in the basketry tradition of her native Bahamas, and the marketplace where her grandmother crafted woven goods — using a technique called plaiting — for the tourist trade throughout her life. The artist, who has been named the inaugural winner of the Future Perfect gallery’s the Future Perfect Prize this year, weaves a complex narrative in clay.
The prize is one of just a few in the United States dedicated to design and offers the recipient an unrestricted grant of $20,000 along with an ongoing relationship with the gallery. Major will debut a new body of work at the Future Perfect in 2025. A prominent design gallery with outlets in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Future Perfect represents more than 50 makers whose ranks include Lindsey A.