An Outdoor Art Gallery in Fox Meadow

If you've driven down Hampton Road lately, you probably noticed some interesting artwork adorning the front lawn of a house at the corner of Hampton road and Olmstead road. No, it's not holiday decorations or pumpkins, the lawn sculpture is the work of artist, Simone Kestelman, who recently moved to the home and has enhanced both front and backyards with her work.

She calls the large, ceramic orange orbs, "The Beginning" and says they signify the seven days of creation in Genesis. And what about the string of white spheres hanging from the tree? Kestelman says these are a necklace, saying that "pearls for some are just what you wear when you want to look classy." For her the "pearls embody wisdom acquired through experience and are symbols of faith, love, harmony and new beginnings". The seven pearls that are unattached from the others are symbols of love, endearment, the holy day of rest, creation, blessing, females and the bride. Kestelman says the sculptures are weatherproof, but also fragile and strong at the same time.

If you're lucky enough to be invited behind the house you'll find the secret garden Kestleman created for her 11 year-old daughter. She made an "art" garden with ceramic flowers that bloom year-round and built a tree house that would be the envy of any child. Kestelman says, "creating art gardens with children means involving the kids in the design and evolution of the garden, working together to produce something unique. Nature facilitates more creative and imaginative play and creates a capacity for learning. More and more children today have less and less contact with the natural world. We had this problem since we came from a country (Brazil) where we had to have bullet proof cars."

Kestelman's work extends far beyond her home. A multi-media artist, she works in glass, ceramics and photography using casting, fusing and a variety of finishing techniques. She has a studio on Westmoreland Avenue in White Plains that was converted from an old dairy farm. She recently showed her work at the Context Show on Pier 94 in New York. There she displayed two large works to raise awareness about violence against women and children. The work, "A Fairy Take Bride" will be included at the Glass Art Society at the Corning Museum, and she has upcoming shows at the Gutfruend Cornett Art exhibition who creates shows to highlight art as activism and at St. Mary's College Museum of Art.

Kestelman is a native of Rio de Janeiro, where she received a BA in economics. She trained in working with glass at the Corning Museum and has 30 years of experience working with glass and ceramics. Her work is currently in the permanent collection of the Newark Museum of Art and in private collections in Brazil and Europe.

The artist is represented by Glenn Aber Contemporary Art in Greenwich. Learn more about Kestelman and see her work here.

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