{"title":"House Zoo – The Wild We Live With | A. Fraction","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere was a rule in the academy dormitories: no pets. Simple enough, until you start asking what counts as a pet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spiders in the corners of my room never felt like intruders. They were more like quiet guests, keeping to themselves, minding their webs. The flies and wasps were another matter - unwelcome, buzzing, impossible to ignore. And then there were the pigeons: watching from the other side of the window glass, or gathering on the main balcony where someone had been secretly helping them build a nest, much to the cleaning lady's dismay. A small, ongoing war between human order and feathered persistence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat question - \u003cem\u003ewhat is a pet, and what is simply a creature we live alongside?\u003c\/em\u003e Never really left me. We share our homes with more beings than we realise. Spiders in the corners, cats on the sofa, flies on the window, germs on every surface. And beyond our walls: whales on documentary channels, animals as plushies in our beds, wildlife filtered through screens and social media. Why does humanity surround itself with the wild? Or is it simply that we live in a creature-filled world, and we are the only ones who can observe it?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eHouse Zoo\u003c\/strong\u003e collection is an exploration of that uncanny feeling - the wild, domesticated and reimagined in enamel miniature. Each piece is handcrafted on copper using cloisonné and wet packing techniques, fired in the kiln, and finished by hand at A. Fraction studio.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"whale-cat","title":"Whale Cat","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eAs the very first official object in this collection, \"Whale Cat\" was directly inspired by a previous kiln \"whoopsie\" that looked exactly like textured whale skin(not exactly, after a quick google search it looks nothing like it). That happy accident sparked a deep dive into the fascinating history of evolution, specifically how whales started as land animals before growing too large to walk against gravity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003eThis miniature painting captures that cosmic wonder through the hilarious, relatable expression of a classic meme cat. Handcrafted using the intricate, traditional \u003cb\u003ecloisonné technique\u003c\/b\u003e, the character's distinct lines are meticulously formed with fine silver wires. The cells are then filled with pigmented glass powders and fused to a solid copper base at 800°C. The design seamlessly blends high-level historical craftsmanship with modern internet culture, making it a perfect, quirky conversation starter that fully embraces the playful spirit of wabi-sabi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Art:\u003c\/b\u003e Original miniature enamel painting featuring the \"Whale Cat.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Medium:\u003c\/b\u003e Fine silver wire cloisonné and vitreous enamel fused to a copper disc at 800°C.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/b\u003e Coin - 33 mm radius. Display stand - 80 × 79.8 mm, solid pine finished with black acrylic varnish, held with iron nails dyed black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdition:\u003c\/b\u003e One of a kind. When it's gone, it's gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollection:\u003c\/b\u003e The first official release in the ''House zoo'' series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/b\u003e Handcrafted by the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"A. Fraction","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58255063974152,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1039\/3898\/2152\/files\/Whale_Cat_in_the_stand.jpg?v=1784356218"},{"product_id":"fly-nest","title":"Fly nest","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery piece has a story. This one begins with a fly tornado.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pile of organic waste left too long in the studio. A bin opened at the wrong moment. And then, a black cloud of flies, straight at my face, eyes, nose, ears, mouth. Disgusting. Immediate. Humbling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lesson came in two parts: do not let the organic trash pile up too high, and do not pack your enamel too high either. Pack it too deep and the silver cloisonné wires disappear into the pile, lost beneath the surface. Then came a deliberate choice: a layer of brown transparent enamel, fired over the top. Not to fix anything, but to lean in. Brown like rot, brown like what flies are drawn to, brown like the whole unglamorous truth of what a nest really is. Back into the kiln. Waiting for it to melt. Waiting a little too long. The piece burned. The kiln, as always, has the final word. (No flies were harmed in the making of this piece. I am not that spiteful. But it did feel very good to finally take out the trash.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat struck me most, once the chaos settled, was the reminder: we do not live in a world apart from nature. We live \u003cem\u003einside\u003c\/em\u003e it. Leave a corner unmanaged, and your home becomes a different ecosystem entirely, one that was always there, waiting. The flies were just doing what flies do. We are the ones who forgot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFly Nest\u003c\/strong\u003e is a handcrafted enamel miniature on copper, made using cloisonné and wet packing techniques and fired in the kiln at A. Fraction studio. An original, one-of-a-kind piece exploring the uninvited wildness of domestic life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"A. Fraction","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58301467164936,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1039\/3898\/2152\/files\/IMG_6430.jpg?v=1784986968"}],"url":"https:\/\/a-fraction.com\/collections\/house-zoo-collection.oembed","provider":"A. Fraction","version":"1.0","type":"link"}